


What Are We Waiting For?

by thisisntreallymeimnotreallyhere



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bottom Cas, Bottom Dean, First Kiss, Happy Ending, Impala Sex, Love Confession, M/M, Minor Character Death, Top Cas, Top Dean, canon compliant character death, fake engagement, slight angst, team switch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2018-12-02 02:57:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11500335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisntreallymeimnotreallyhere/pseuds/thisisntreallymeimnotreallyhere
Summary: Senator Castiel Novak is up for re-election but his campaign is almost derailed when someone leaks a photo of him embracing another man late at night. Cas' campaign manager, Gabe, suggests that they put a romantic spin on it -- convince Cas' voters and the media that he's secretly engaged to the other man, Dean Winchester. Next thing Cas knows, Dean is on the road with them, holding his hand, and acting like the dutiful fiance. But the line between fantasy and reality starts to blur. What's Cas supposed to do when he starts to fall in love with his fake fiance?





	1. Secret Lovers?

**Author's Note:**

> This was beta-ed by the lovely pimentogirl who took care of all my wayward comas and left lovely, encouraging notes. :)
> 
> There is also artwork by dreymart, which I will link to as soon as she posts her art. (P.S. - I'm so excited because this is the first time anyone has contributed art to one of my stories! I lucked out with my artist! She's awesome!)

Cas has been talking for nearly two hours by the time Gabe waves to him from the edge of the stage. He must have noticed that people were starting to repeat questions, which means it’s time for Cas to wrap things up. Thank goodness, Cas thinks, because his energy is starting to wain and he could use a cup of herbal tea.

Cas looks out at the sea of faces looking back at him expectantly. He’s never really gotten used to this part of the job. He prefers the quiet work in his office back in DC. But these people voted for him, trust him to represent them, so he comes to these town hall meetings and does the best he can.

“Alright, folks, we have time for one more question,” Cas announces before calling on someone in the back. He listens carefully and then answers as truthfully as he can, trying to address the underlying issue that the person is worried about not just the question that they asked their senator. He wants people to know that he cares, even if he can’t always give them what they want. “I hope that clarifies the issue,” he says by way of closing. Thankfully the person nods and sits down without asking any further question.

Cas puts on what he calls his politician smile and tries to leave the audience with one last good impression. It’s not hard, since this group of people seem inclined to like him. Coming back to his small hometown has it’s perks, he thinks, even if he finds it emotionally overwhelming.

“I wanted to thank you all for giving me such a warm homecoming!” he says as people start to applaud. In fact, his experience here is the same as almost everywhere else. There’s the long drive, the endless handshakes and photo ops, and the stale coffee served by an overly chipper waitress. But Gabe asked Kevin to write a short blurb for him, so he delivers it as best he can.

“Coming home reminds me of why I decided to run for reelection. We’re going to keep North Carolina moving forward!”

He smiles and waves and shakes some hands as he moves toward the exit. Gabe is there to greet him as soon as he’s away from the crowd.

“Not bad, kid,” he says, handing him a throat lozenge.

“I’ll get the hang of it eventually,” Cas replies without missing a beat. It’s the same conversation they had six years ago after Cas’ first public event where he announced his intention to run for office. It’s been a tradition to say it after every public event since then. Cas finds it funnier and funnier the longer he holds office and he assumes that Gabe continues to do it for the same reason.

He and his staff move quickly toward the exit and climb into the SUVs waiting by the back door. They don’t travel with security when they’re outside of DC, so they try to limit their time in public places. Within minutes they’re back on the highway, headed back to the hotel. Normally, Cas would use this time to catch up on emails but tonight he’s distracted by the scenery flashing by.

Everything looks familiar and yet he knows that so much has changed. He knows that the baseball field where he and Jimmy used to play t-ball is only a 10 minute drive away, that the best ice cream shop is off the exit they’re passing right now, and that the car dealership where he bought his first car is two exits back. At least, he thinks those places are still there. They drove past his favorite diner this afternoon on their way to Town Hall and Cas was appalled to see that it had been turned into an upscale, organic grocery store.

“You did good tonight,” Gabe says, breaking his train of thought. “We’ll have a good headline tomorrow morning.”

Cas hums in agreement. He thinks about the local journalist who is rushing to finish the story before the final edition goes to press. His father used to deal with deadlines too when he worked for the paper. Cas can still remember the smell of ink on his fingers as he tucked Cas into bed. That’s one of the happy memories that Cas holds onto.

“You know what would give us an even  _ better _ headline?” Gabe asks as if he can read Cas’ mind.

“Don’t start, Gabe.”

“If you went to visit dear old dad.”

Cas shakes his head in frustration. He can make time to see his father if he wants to, but the visit would only be an excuse for a photo op. His father deserves better than that as far as Cas is concerned. They haven’t talked since the funeral. There’s too much to say and Cas can’t say it all in one night.

“We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow and another town hall meeting when we finally get there. I think we should all get some sleep,” Cas says by way of an answer.

“Suit yourself,” Gabe says. Thankfully he doesn’t say anything else until they reach the hotel.

“You have a small fanclub waiting for you,” Gabe announces in his usual upbeat tone as they come to a stop in front of the lobby. “Straighten your tie and flash that charming smile of yours.”

Cas takes a deep breath as he puts back on his public persona. He steps out of the SUV with a smile that he hopes will make Gabe proud. Charlie, his top aide, waves him over and introduces him to some local business owners who couldn’t make the town hall because of their schedules. Cas greets them all and answers a few questions. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Gabe taking pictures and knows that he’ll use this as promotional material sooner or later.

Probably sooner.

Five minutes later Gabe is ushering him into the lobby while Charlie thanks his guests and reminds them to, “Vote for Novak!”

“Where’s Mandy,” Cas asks once they are all in the relative privacy of the lobby.

“She made a new friend,” Charlie informs him, pointing in the direction of the lounge.

Cas excuses himself while Charlie and Gabe start to talk about mundane details of his campaign. He walks over to the alcove where Charlie pointed and, sure enough, his dog is playing with a young boy, shaking hands in exchange for treats. Cas meanders over, grabbing a handful of neatly wrapped chocolate candy from one of the side table.

“It looks like you two are having fun,” Cas says when he gets close enough. He squats down so that he’s at eye level with the young boy.

“She can shake with both paws!” the boy informs him. Cas smiles at his enthusiasm.

“She sure can! But it’s her bedtime now, so she’s going to have to say goodnight.”

“Goodbye, Mandy,” the young boy says as he gives the dog a hug.

“Thanks for keeping her company,” Cas says. The little boy smiles and runs back to his parents who are waiting nearby.

“We’re hitting the road tomorrow morning at seven, sharp!” Gabe yells after him as he walks past them on his way to the elevators. Cas just nods in acknowledgment, anxious to get to the privacy of his hotel room.

“Have a good night, Senator Novak,” one of the hotel staff says to him.

“Same to you,” Cas says with a smile even though he doesn’t slow down.

Finally,  _ finally _ , he’s on the elevator and he can relax. He leans against the wall, taking slow, deep breaths, absently rubbing the top of Mandy’s head. He and his team have been on the road for weeks and they still have a few more to go. Endless hotel rooms, the same questions from his constituents, and not a lot of down time are enough to set Cas on edge. All of that plus the memories that are associated with this place and Cas can feel an emotional weight being added to his fatigue. Mandy must sense his discomfort because she starts whining softly.

He takes a shower when he gets back to his room which doesn’t sooth his mind the way it usually does. He lets the water run down his skin as he tries to pull himself together. It’ll be better tomorrow, he reasons. He’ll be somewhere far away, somewhere that doesn’t affect him so much. He’ll ask Gabe to schedule a “down day” so he and his staff can get some rest. Hopefully that will be enough to prepare them for the sprint leading up to election day.

With that comforting thought he turns off the shower and dries himself off. He decides that he’s going to start reading that book that Charlie let him borrow a few days ago. It has nothing to do with politics, unless you count a war with dragons as politics. It’ll help clear his mind if he can concentrate on something else for a while. He walks out of the bathroom but never gets the chance to dig the book out of his luggage.

Mandy, who usually curls up in her dog bed when she’s tired, is curled up in the corner, shaking and whimpering.

“What’s the matter, girl?” Cas asks as he kneels down to examine her. She was whining in the elevator, Cas remembers, but he didn’t think it was anything serious. She was fine when she was playing with the kid in the lobby…

“Oh no,” Cas mumbles as he pries his dog’s jaw open. Sure enough, he finds a piece of wrapper stuck between her teeth. “Chocolate. Shit!”

He stands up and tries to collect his thoughts. He gets dressed in a hurry so that he’s prepared to act as soon as he decides what to do. He knows that he has to get Mandy to a vet as soon as possible. Gabe might know what to do but he’s probably still talking with Charlie and there are details to work out for tomorrow. Unless Cas wants to derail his entire campaign schedule he’ll have to leave Gabe out of this.

Suddenly, he realizes that no one is expecting him to be anywhere until tomorrow morning.

Without thinking about it too much, he scoops up his dog and carries her down the hallway to the back stairwell. He doesn’t have time to second guess his decision and anyway he doesn’t need anyone’s permission to leave the hotel by himself, right? He knows it won’t stop Gabe from blowing a gasket when he finds out.

He walks up to the closest SUV and punches the security code into the keypad near the handle. Once unlocked he puts his dog in the backseat, trying to make her as comfortable as possible.

“Don’t worry, girl,” Cas says, trying to comfort her. She looks up at him with sad, hurt eyes and it’s all he can do to keep from crying himself. He jumps into the front seat and starts the SUV as he searches for the nearest emergency vet clinic in the area. According to his GPS, it’s about 10 minutes away. Cas starts driving.

It’s the longest 10 minute drive of Cas’ life. He can hear his dog whimpering in the backseat. Maybe this is his punishment for not going to see his dad. His dog -- no,  _ Jimmy’s _ dog is sick. Why did she have to get sick  _ here _ of all places? Cas’ insides squirm every time Mandy makes another pathetic noise.

Finally he’s at the clinic. He can see someone in the front office through the window. He parks haphazardly, not really paying attention to what’s around him. He gingerly carries Mandy and calls for the vet’s attention before the door even closes behind him.

“Hello? I need some help out here!”

There’s the sound of a chair scraping against the floor and then the sound of footsteps hurrying toward him. Cas can’t see much since his dog is blocking most of his view but he can tell that the person talking to him is wearing a lab coat so they must be the vet.

“What happened?” he hears a deep voice ask from behind the fluff.

“She ate chocolate. It wasn’t too long ago, but now she’s shaking and she won’t stop whimpering.

“Do you know what kind of chocolate?”

“I… I have some in my pocket. There was a kid at the hotel who was giving her chocolate as a treat. I grabbed some from the same bowl.”

“Alright, let’s take a look. Follow me.”

Cas follows as best he can. He bumps into the doorframe on his way into the exam room but thankfully he doesn’t jostle Mandy too much. He gently puts her down on the exam table and starts stroking her fur in a comforting gesture.

“The chocolate?” the vet gently reminds him.

“Oh, right. Here,” Cas hands over the chocolate that he had in his pocket. He’s too distracted to notice distinct features, but he can tell that the vet is about his age and has green eyes. Beyond that, Cas doesn’t care as long as he can help make Mandy feel better.

“OK, this is simple,” the vet announces as he examines the chocolate. “I’m going to inject her with something that will help her throw up. And then we’ll give her some charcoal to absorb any leftover chocolate.”

“That sounds fine,” Cas says. He rests his head against Mandy’s soft fur. “You’re gonna be fine, girl. I promise.”

He can tell when the vet uses the needle because Mandy flinches under his touch. It only take a few more moment before she’s throwing up the contents of her stomach. Luckily, the vet is there with a tray to catch it.

“Good girl,” the vet sooths.

“Her name is Mandy,” Cas informs him.

“Good girl, Mandy. You’re doing great.”

After a while the vet decides that there’s nothing left to throw up so he takes away the tray and starts mixing together a black bowl of goo. Or at least it looks that way to Cas.

“Alright, this next part might not be so easy,” the vet says, turning back to face Cas. “Luckily, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Was that a wink? Cas is still too flustered to tell, and anyway it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that his dog has finally stopped whimpering. The vet is pulling a small jar out of one of the cupboards and emptying the contents on top the black goo.

“Baby food helps the charcoal go down easier,” he tells Cas. Not that Cas is in any position to object. Before he knows it, Mandy has lapped up the last of the charcoal and has finally stopped shaking.

“That should do it,” the vet says. “You did good.”

“She’s a brave dog,” Cas agrees.

“I meant you, actually. Not everyone handles themselves so well under pressure.”

Cas finds some humor in that. He’s been an emotional wreck all day, so the fact that someone thinks that he “did good” is a bit far fetched. His laughter catches in his throat, however, as the full weight of the situation starts to bear down on him.

Before he can collect himself he feels a hand on his elbow, guiding him out of the room.

“You should let her rest for a minute before you bring her back home,” the vet tells him. He’s gently guiding Cas across the lobby towards the office. Cas knows that Mandy’s recovery is only an excuse. The vet probably wants Cas to calm down before he drives anywhere.

“She was my brother’s dog. My twin, actually,” Cas explains. “He…” No, that’s too much to think about. “She’s all I have left of him.” He can feel the tears stinging the corners of his eyes but he refuses to cry. He can push is down, he can be stronger than this. “She’s been with me almost every day for six years.”

“Hey, man. It’s okay. Mandy is fine. Your brother would have been proud of the way you took care of her.”

The vet guides Cas into the office and tries to point him in the direction of the couch, but the situation is all of a sudden too much for Cas. The emotions refuse to be pushed down so he finally lets the tears come. He’s knows that he should move, should take a seat so he can cry with some dignity, but he’s rooted to the spot.

Any decent person would have left him alone to cry. Anyone else would have at least turned around and pretended not to notice. But for some reason the vet isn’t just anybody. The next thing Cas knows, he’s being pulled into a hug, two strong arms holding him close, a gentle hand rubbing soothing circles against his shoulders. Cas lets himself be held as he cries against the man’s chest.

Eventually the sobs begin to subside. He pulls back, taking a deep breath to steady himself. The vet reaches for something on the desk before pushing a box of tissues into Cas’ hands. For some reason that final act of kindness is enough to calm Cas down.

“Thank you for your help,” he says.

“No worries, man. I’m Dean, by the way.”

“I’m Cas.”

They’re still standing unusually close but Cas doesn’t care and Dean doesn’t seem to either. He’s studying Cas’ face as if to make sure that Cas isn’t going to start crying again. Whatever his thought process is, he eventually takes a step back, breaking the bubble that had surrounded them.

“I’ll settle the bill,” Cas says hoping that the situation hasn’t gotten too awkward. “I should take Mandy back to the hotel so she can get some rest.”

“No problem,” Dean says, pulling out some paperwork and filling out the necessary information. He has moved from caregiver to professional in a matter of seconds and for that Cas is grateful. Too often in his life as a public servant Cas has to justify his actions, but Dean doesn’t ask for an explanation. He just accepts that Cas is done crying and moves on the next item on the agenda. It’s refreshing.

He’s walking out the door before he knows it, Mandy at his heels, no worse for wear. Dean is waving him goodbye, telling him to drive safely and to get some rest. He smiles and waves back as he drives away. Sneaking back into the hotel is easy and, thankfully, Cas falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

His phone is what wakes him up the next morning. His sleep addled brain doesn’t realize that someone is trying to call him so he hangs up on the call thinking that he pushed the snooze button. But when the phone immediately starts ringing again he knows that there’s a problem. He’s awake in a heartbeat when he realizes that Gabe is calling him. In fact, he’s already missed two calls from Gabe and one from Charlie.

“Are you awake?” Gabe asks without preamble as soon as Cas answers. He doesn’t wait for an answer. “You’re about to be. We have a media emergency. Use those runner’s legs of yours to get down here as fast as possible.”

Whatever happened has got Gabe in a tizzy, and that means bad news for Cas and possibly his campaign. He dresses in record time and quickly makes his way downstairs. As he passes through the lobby he sees Kevin hunched over a laptop, typing furiously, and Charlie in the corner trying to keep her voice low even though she is obviously agitated. Gabe meets him halfway and starts waving a newspaper in Cas’ face.

“What’s this?” Cas asks stupidly. In his defense, he’s still half asleep.

“Remember how I said we were going to have a good headline today? Obviously I didn’t take into account your romantic rendezvous!”

Cas grabs the newspaper for Gabe’s hands and smooths it out so he can see the headline. He can feel the color drain from his face and for a split second he forgets how to breath. He has to read it twice before it sinks in. “Secret Lover of US Senator!” is sprawled across the front page with a picture of him hugging Doug. Or was it Dean?

“But we’re not lovers!” Cas argues, as if he can somehow make this disappear if he protests hard enough.

“Doesn’t matter, kid,” Gabe says with a surprisingly gentle tone. “You are now.”

“I… How…” Cas stammers, but Gabe is two steps ahead of him.

“I’m already taking care of it,” he informs Cas as he leads them into a conference room that, thankfully, has some privacy. It takes Cas a second to realize that there’s someone else in the room with them and another second to realize that it’s the vet from last night. Shit, what was his name? Gabe is talking again before Cas has a chance to figure it out.

“We’ll answer the headline by announcing your engagement. That should take away some of the sting and we’ll be able to control the story from here on out.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Cas asks, flopping into one of the nearby chairs. “Engagement?”

“Try to keep up.” Gabe all but sighs in exasperation. “The public doesn’t like dishonesty, unless you can put a romantic spin on it.”

This is all too much before six o’clock. Cas looks over at the man who was so kind to him last night, but he doesn’t seem to be as distressed as Cas is. It’s probably because the man has a coffee cup and Cas is facing this catastrophe without caffeine.

“What about the truth?” Cas suggests, looking helplessly at Gabe.

“Lover boy explained the situation to me. It’s all very… innocent. Here’s the thing, if you’re going to get shoved out of the closet you need something to cushion the fall, so to speak.”

“Why do I have to get shoved out of the closet at all?!”

“First of all, stop yelling. It’s bad for your complexion. Second of all, weren’t you listening? I need a romantic spin to take away the negativity! Otherwise the rumors will follow you for the rest of your career. You won’t be able to shake this. We have to control the story.”

Cas sits back and let the words sink in. Gabe has always had his best interest at heart and up until now Cas has trusted him completely. But is this too much? This isn’t just his career or his life, after all. Someone else is involved now.

“If you want to spin my life, that’s fine. But you can’t drag some unsuspecting soul into this circus,” Cas argues, motioning towards what’s-his-name.

“I don’t mind,” he pipes up. It’s the first thing that Cas has heard him say all morning and his mouth drops in astonishment.

“See,” Gabe gloats. “Your fiance has some sense.

“No,” Cas tries to protest. “It’s not going to happen.” But from the look on Gabe’s face he knows that he’s already lost.

“Charlie already called a press conference,” Gabe tells him, confirming his suspicions. That’s just great, isn’t it? There’s no way out now.

Cas braves a look at the other man. He cried in his arms last night and now he can’t even remember his name. How is Cas supposed to pretend that he’s in love?

Actually, Cas thinks, it might not be that hard. The vet is attractive, more so than he realized last night. There’s some stubble along his jawline that makes him ruggedly attractive and his eyes are a startling color of green. How did Cas miss that? He’s startled out of his thoughts when the other man actually winks at him. He turns away, hoping that no one notices the blush creeping into his cheeks.

“That’s settled then,” Gabe says with a smirk. Obviously his blush did not go unnoticed.

“Are you sure you can control the story?” Cas asks in one last desperate attempt to reason with his campaign manager.

“No worries, kid,” Gabe reassures him. He has that teasing tone in his voice that Cas hates. “Besides, you don’t actually have to marry the handsome stranger. Just jump his bones before you cut him loose.”

“That’s not very polite,” Cas argues, but Gabe is already walking out the door.


	2. The Charade Begins

It’s been a long few days. Cas can feel the situation weighing on his staff, can feel it weighing on his own emotions and peace-of-mind, but more importantly he can feel it weighing on his constituents. All the careful prep that he and his staff had done before this trip has gone right out the window. Cas almost wishes that his campaign could go back to being boring. At least boring was predictable.

It’s been anything but boring since the attention grabbing headline hit the news cycle last week. The major networks picked up on it and, to Cas’ horror, morning talks shows spent time fawning over the picture. Not that there’s much to fawn over, as far as he can tell. The picture is blurry, obviously taken at night from a distance, yet the poor quality can’t hide the fact that it’s Cas hugging Dean and being hugged in return.

Gabe promised that they would be able to control the story and so far he’s kept his word. What he can’t seem to control is the reaction from the voters. Cas has noticed a subtle shift in the way they react to him. It’s only fair, he reasons. After all, if their senator isn’t telling them the truth about his love life, what else isn’t he telling the truth about? Cas does his best to reassure them that his work comes first, that he hasn’t lost his focus, but it doesn’t seem to be helping.

Gabe notices the change too. Cas is in the middle of answering a question about education reform when he sees Gabe give the signal to wrap it up. Gabe has never forced him to finish early, but tonight seems to be an exception to the rule. Cas feels like he’s being scolded. He smiles and waves and reminds people to “Keep North Carolina moving forward!” before he practically runs off stage.

“Not bad, kid,” Gabe says with a heavy sigh. Cas thinks he means just the opposite.

“I’ll get the hang of it eventually,” he mumbles. He can hear the commotion coming from the auditorium, can hear the disgruntled whispers. Not for the first time he wonders if they should have just told the truth in the first place.

“Let’s take a walk,” Gabe suggests and motions toward a door that leads down an empty hallway. Cas just nods and follows. They walk down the hallway in silence, turning a corner so that they’re out of eyesight and earshot of anyone who might get nosy. 

“What do you think is happening right now, Cas?” Gabe’s voice is even, almost flat, which is worse than if he had been yelling. In Cas’ experience it means that he’s trying really hard to control his emotions.

“They don’t trust me anymore,” Cas answers. He can hear the dejected tone in his own voice.

“Bullshit!”

“Excuse me?”

“Politicians lie all the time, especially about their love lives! That’s not why they’re upset.”

“Oh, did you take a Gallup Poll, or something?”

“I didn’t have to! All it takes is a little common sense.”

“Why don’t you enlighten me, than? Because I’m lost!”

Gabe sighs and shakes his head. When he finally speaks he sounds tired. “I told you, the story needs a romantic spin.”

“You gave it one!”

“Calm down, buckaroo. I meant that  _ you _ need to give it a romantic spin.”

Cas starts pacing in frustration. It takes him a moment to let Gabe’s words sink in.

“So… what? I should wear an engagement ring? Ignore questions about the housing market and start gushing about the color scheme for my imaginary wedding?”

“Now you’ve got it!”

“I’m not going to do that, Gabe!”

“I figured.” Gabe has a smug look on his face that Cas doesn’t like. Gabe has always been confident, but right now he looks like a chess master playing checkers against a five year old. There’s nothing Cas can do but take the bait.

“What’s your solution?”

“It’s a good one,” Gabe assures him. “But you’re not going to like it.”

* * *

Cas really doesn’t like it. He reasons and argues and even begs Gabe to change his mind, but it’s no use. The plan has already been set into motion and there is nothing Cas can do about it.

Dean is going on the road with them.

Gabe had called him during Cas’ disaster of a town hall meeting last night and had already agreed to the whole thing by the time he broke the news to Cas. Apparently Dean had started driving first thing the next morning in his fancy, classic car to meet up with them this evening. And now here they are, Cas and his team, waiting in the hotel lobby for Dean to join them. Mandy was sitting anxiously at his feet, obviously feeling the tension in the air.

“I just got a text,” Charlie announces. “He’s about to pull up.”

“Good thing someone leaked the news to the press, huh kid?” Gabe says with a wink.

“Yes,” Cas deadpans. “How fortunate that there are cameras here to capture yet another photo that can be splashed across the six o’clock news.”

“My thoughts exactly! Now get out there and welcome your finance with open arms!”

Cas stands up slowly and hands Mandy’s leash to Charlie who is standing close by. He has a feeling that he is going to remember this moment for the rest of this life. This will be the moment that he loses his career and becomes a laughing stock in the political world. Maybe if he is really lucky he’ll get turned into one of those joke photos on the internet that Kevin is always talking about. Those are popular, right?

“Don’t do that,” Charlie tells him as he starts to adjust his tie. “You’re supposed to look relaxed. Leave the jacket here, too.”

“If you insist,” Cas says, but he doesn’t care either way.

Soon enough they hear the rumble of a car engine pull into the parking lot. Gabe glares at him so Cas takes that as his cue to walk out and greet Dean. He rolls his eyes as he passes Gabe but there’s a smile on his face by the time he gets in front of the cameras. After all, Dean is a kind person who saved his dog’s life and is kind enough now to go along with Gabe’s plan. Smiling is the least that Cas can do to show his thanks.

He tries to take Charlie’s advice and look as casual as possible. He smiles at the photographers and journalists who were lingering nearby, but mostly he keeps his attention on the big black car that has parked just a few paces away. He hears the engine cut off but it takes another few seconds for Dean to step out of the car.

For some reason Cas had imagined Dean walking up to him with a lab coat on, wearing the same outfit as he had been wearing the first time they met. But the man that steps out of the car is not at all what Cas is expecting. He’s somehow taller than Cas remembers and so much more attractive. Dean is wearing dark colored jeans that cling to his thighs. He’s in a casual gray t-shirt that shows off his muscular arms and his tan skin. His hair is tousled as if he has been driving with the windows down and he’s sporting a five o’clock shadow. Rugged is the word that Cas would use to describe him if he could find his voice.

Dean is walking toward him with a smile on his face, eyes only for Cas. Vaguely, Cas hears the shutter clicks as photographers start taking pictures but Cas can’t take his eyes off of Dean. At just the right moment Dean takes off his sunglasses so that the light falls across his face and makes his eyes almost glow. Did Gabe coach him to do that?

“Hey, angel,” Dean says as he steps closer. Cas feels a hand slip around his waist and pull him closer until he’s flush against Dean’s chest.Before he knows what’s happening, Dean is leaning down and kissing him slowly and tenderly. It feels familiar somehow, and comforting. It only lasts for a few seconds but it’s enough to send Cas’ head reeling. As Dean pulls away Cas instinctively takes a step forward. His hands have ended up on Dean’s waist somehow. It must have been to keep himself from losing his balance, Cas reasons. But there’s no reason now for them to be standing so close to each other, no reason for them to be staring into each other’s eyes, to keep touching. And yet, Cas doesn’t pull away.

“Miss me?” Dean whispers.

The sound of camera shutters is what finally snaps Cas out of his bubble. He steps back, sliding out of Dean’s embrace.

“Gabe’s waiting to bring you up to speed,” he says as he motions towards the lobby.

“Right,” Dean says as he reaches out to take Cas’ hand. “Let’s get this show on the road! I see you hired a welcoming committee.” Dean’s smile is wide and charming as he turns to the group of photographers and journalists standing nearby. “Nice to see you, guys. Any suggestions on local eateries?”

“Try Betty’s Diner on 10th Street,” someone suggests.

“They have good burgers?” Dean asks.

“Sure do!” someone else answers. The crowd seems to agree.

“That’s what I like to hear!” Dean calls over his shoulder as he and Cas finally make it inside. Cas tries to wiggle his hand free but Dean holds on tighter.

“They might still be watching,” Dean whispers.

“Good point,” Gabe agrees as he joins them. “Let’s go somewhere we can talk business, kids.”

They walk past the reception desk into a small conference room which, thankfully, does not have any windows. Dean lets go of Cas’ hand when the door finally closes behind them and, despite everything that just happened, smiles shyly at him.

“Gabe said that one of us had to be openly affectionate,” Dean explains. “Didn’t he tell you?”

Cas shakes his head and glares at his campaign manager. Gabe just shrugs, not even bothering to apologize.

“Dearly beloved, now that we’re all here, let’s talk about our roles in this charade.”

“Apparently, Dean has been cast as the openly affectionate one,” Cas snips.

“That’s because the only creature you show affection towards is you dog,” Gabe shoots back without missing a beat, his voice light and playful. “But that’s fine. You’re stoic, dependable. You can win the election with that. Mister fancy pants, here,” he says motioning towards Dean, “is going to be the one who can do what you can’t.”

“Put up with your snark?”

“Gush about your relationship.”

“No one expects you to change, Cas,” Charlie cuts in. “You did a good job before, you’re going to continue to do a good job. Now that Dean’s here, you can go back to focusing on your campaign while he deals with all of the relationship stuff. Our strategy is divide and conquer.”

“What exactly does that that mean? What is Dean going to have to do to ‘deal’ with the ‘relationship stuff’?”  Cas notices too late that he’s shifted his weight so that he’s standing between Dean and Gabe, almost as if he’s trying to protect Dean. From the way that Gabe is smirking at him he’s noticed too.

“Mostly photo ops,” Gabe answers. “We can start at the diner that the media suggested. The plan is to have the photos satisfy people’s curiosity so that they don’t bother you with relationship questions during your campaign events.”

“There might be some more hand holding and... things like that,” Charlie adds.

She’s careful not to mention kissing but Cas blushes anyway and he can hear Dean shuffle uncomfortably behind him.

“Um, yeah. Sorry about that. If I crossed a line.”

“You didn’t,” Gabe says at the same time that Cas says, “Don’t worry about it.”

In fact, Cas is surprised to realize that he doesn’t mind at all. Yes, the kiss took him by surprise, but other than that it was nice. More than nice, actually. It might not be a bad thing to indulge in the affection for a while, even if it is pretend. As long as Dean doesn’t mind giving affection, Cas realizes that he’s not opposed to receiving it.

“Now that that’s settled,” Gabe says, “let’s talk strategy.”

* * *

Their discussion lasts for about an hour before Gabe is satisfied that everyone knows what they’re supposed to do. Cas is pleased to see that Dean has his own ideas to contribute instead of letting everyone else make decisions for him. In the end they agreed that Dean will go to one or two tourist destinations in every town they stop in, depending on how much time they’re spending in each place. He’ll chat with the locals and say things like, “Cas and I are happy to get to know you better.” There will also be some “dates” added to the schedule which Gabe promises will not interfere with Cas’ original schedule.

It’s dark by the time they finish their discussion. Thankfully they’re staying in this town for one more day so they don’t have to worry about getting up too early tomorrow morning. Cas wishes everyone a pleasant evening and takes Mandy for a short walk, using the alone time to think over the events of the day. Naturally, most of his thoughts revolve around Dean. And why shouldn’t they, Cas thinks? Dean is bright and charming and is already getting the hang of talking to the press. He reminds himself that Dean is here to be an asset to his campaign team, and tries to ignore the butterflies he gets every time he thinks about the kiss.

He eventually makes his way back to his room, changes into more comfortable clothes and flops onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Mandy curls up in her dog bed and promptly goes to sleep. Cas knows that he should peak at the notes that Kevin left him for his speech tomorrow but he doesn’t have the mental energy to concentrate on anything new right now.

The room is quiet for a while until Cas hears a soft knocking noise coming from the far end. He sits up in confusion and stares at the door as if it will give him some answers. He knows that his staff would have called or texted him so it can’t be someone he knows. He briefly considers that the person knocking is a member of the hotel staff but before he can get up to answer he hears the knocking again, this time coming from somewhere closer.

For the first time he notices that there is a door in his room that leads to the room next door. He knows that Charlie and Kevin have their own rooms down the hall and that Gabe is one floor down. Could it be that someone is confused? That his hotel neighbor thinks that they’re knocking on their friend’s door instead of his?

“Can I help you?” Cas calls, at a loss for what else to say.

“Cas?”

It takes a second for Cas to recognize the voice since it’s slightly muffled. As soon as it registers, though, he pushes himself off the bed and makes his way across the room.

“Dean?”

“I thought I heard you come in. Can I talk to you for a second?”

Cas has the door open before Dean has even finished his question. Bright green eyes blink at him in surprise. Like Cas, Dean has changed into more comfortable clothes. He looks relaxed and soft, shy even. Cas stares at him trying to wrap his mind around the fact that this is the same man who had enough confidence to kiss him in front of total strangers only a few hours ago.

“I… I hope your voters don’t mind their tax dollars going to some extra hotel expenses,” Dean says, holding up some liquor bottles that were obviously taken from the mini fridge.

Cas smiles and steps aside so Dean can come in. “This comes out of my personal account,” he explains.

“Oh.” Dean looks like he’s about to turn around and put them back but Cas beats him to the punch. He takes two glasses off of the counter and hands one to Dean.

“I prefer whiskey,” Cas tells him as Dean’s face relaxes into a grin. Somewhere in the back of his mind Cas knows that this is bad idea, something about mixing business with pleasure, but right now he doesn’t care. Dean sets the other bottles aside and splits the whiskey between them. He clinks their glasses together in a silent toast and then turns to look around the room.

“This is a really nice hotel,” he comments.

“They’re all sort of the same after awhile,” Cas tells him. He leans back against the desk and swirls his drink. He’s stayed in so many hotels that they’ve all lost their charm.

“I never stayed in a place this fancy,” Dean tells him. “We always stayed in crappy motels when I was a kid.”

That takes Cas by surprise. “Did you travel a lot?” he asks. It’s the only questions he can think of at the moment.

“Yeah, we traveled with my dad. He, uh…” Dean sits down on the couch across from where Cas is standing. He leans forward with his elbows on his knees, rolling his glass between his hands. He’s peeking up at Cas from under his eyelashes and Cas tries not to find it endearing.

“He was always working on the next big thing, you know? Dragged us all over the country.”

Cas nods, glad that he knows something about Dean other than the fact that he’s a veterinarian.

“You said that your dad dragged  _ us _ all over the country?”

“Yeah, me and my brother Sammy,” Dean explains. “He’s younger than me.”

“My brother was younger than me, too,” Cas says, slowly and quietly. He can’t look at Dean as he says it. Did Dean notice that the sentence was in past tense? The silence stretches between them until it’s too much for Cas to bear. He looks up to see Dean’s eyes fixed on him, full of patience.

“I remember you saying that Mandy was all you had left of him. You were twins, right?”

Honestly, Cas can’t remember the details about the night that he first met Dean. Did he talk about Jimmy? Or did Gabe fill him in?

“Yes,” Cas confirms. There’s another stretch of silence as Cas considers what to say next. “I don’t want to talk about it right now,” he finally admits.

Instead of ending the conversation, though, he makes his way across the room and sits next to Dean. Dean shifts so that he can face Cas from the other side of the couch.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Let’s talk about you,” Cas suggests.

Dean chuckles and leans back against the armrest. He takes a sip of his drink and seems to think about what to say.

“Well, I was born in Kansas. I remember my mom making me apple pie when I was little, and the smell of her hairspray. Weird, right? The things you remember about people.”

“She’s not with you anymore?”

“No, she died when I was a kid. Sammy was still a baby, actually. And then my dad… well, he started trying to fill the hole in his life.”

“Searching for the next big thing?” Cas says, mimicking Dean’s words from earlier.

“Yeah, exactly. Never happened, obviously. Last I heard from him he was still trying to find it.”

“You don’t talk to him anymore?”

“Nah, what’s the point, you know?”

Cas nods and finishes the contents of his glass. Dean picks another bottle from his collection and pours them both a refill.

“So anyway, my dad and I split ways and my Uncle Bobby took me in. He’s a mechanic, taught me everything I know about cars, which is a lot.” Dean winks at him and Cas can’t help but to smile at the boyish charm.

“Go on,” Cas prompts.

“I was going to take over for him but his neighbors were really outdoorsy people, you know? Had a lot of animals and they let me help take care of them. Turns out I was really good at it, too. So after awhile I decided to make a career out of it.”

“But you still drive a classic car,” Cas points out. “You must still enjoy working with cars.”

“That’s my baby,” Dean says, beaming with pride. “I fixed her up myself. After Lisa…,” he stops talking abruptly and looks at Cas nervously.

“Oh, no,” Cas teases. “Did someone break your heart?”

Dean laughs and visibly relaxes. “Sort of. We weren’t together for that long, but for a while I thought I might be the father of her kid. Turns out it was some other guy.”

“I’m sorry, Dean. That must have been hard.”

“Yeah,” Dean agrees. “I didn’t want to admit that I was disappointed, you know? The idea of having a family was starting to grow on me and then it was suddenly gone. So I left. Hooked up with this guy and took an extended road trip.”

Dean tilts his head back and finishes his drink in one gulp. Cas follows suit and then reaches for another bottle of liquor.

“You sure?” Dean asks, but he doesn’t object when Cas fills their glasses. Cas has to lean into Dean’s personal space but Dean doesn’t seem to mind. When Cas settles back down he’s sitting closer to Dean than he was before. 

“We were on our way to Atlanta when we stopped in North Carolina,” Dean continues. “I wanted to stay for a while but Michael wanted to keep moving. Turns out it wasn’t the best relationship anyway, so he took a train to wherever and I stayed. Set up shop, and waited for you to find me.”

Cas laughs at the obvious pickup line. “It makes sense,” Cas says. “I knew everyone in that town when I was growing up. I would have remembered you.” He blushes as soon as he realizes what he’s said but there’s no taking it back now. Dean just laughs and leans forward. Cas tries not to notice that they’re almost touching now.

“I can’t imagine you growing up in a small town like that. You’re too sophisticated.”

“I was kind of an oddball,” Cas admits. He takes a deep breath to steady himself before he continues. “The only reason I had friends was because Jimmy was friendly enough for both of us.”

“You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to, Cas,” Dean tells him. 

“It’s fine,” Cas says, only half lying. “You should know about my personal life anyway, in case someone asks.”

Dean nods and waits for Cas to continue.

“Jimmy and I were inseparable, as most twins are,” Cas tells him. “ _ Brains and Brawn _ my dad used to call us. I was the bookworm and Jimmy was the sports star. He… he protected me much more than he should have, I think,” he admits.

“Brothers will do that,” Dean says softly. Cas nods and smiles fondly at the memory of Jimmy. It’s been so long since he’s let himself think about this.

“I wanted to go away to college, which is something that no one in my family had ever done. At first my dad wouldn’t let me go, but then Jimmy agreed to go with me, and that’s what finally convinced my dad.”

“What about your mom?”

“She passed when I was little. I don’t remember her like you remember your mom. It was just me, and Jimmy, and our dad my whole life.”

“No wonder he didn’t want you to leave for school.”

“Maybe at the beginning,” Cas admits. “But he finally came around. Besides, we didn’t go far. We were accepted at UNC Chapel Hill. Jimmy studied Health and Physical Education and I studied Pre-Law. After we graduated, it was like Jimmy decided that I could take care of myself because he moved back home. He was the gym teacher at our old high school, actually. He loved it.”

“What about you, Cas?” Dean asks in a quiet voice.

“I went on to law school and eventually took a job at a law firm in Raleigh. People say it’s one of the prestigious law firms, but that’s just lawyer speak for expensive.”

Thankfully Dean chuckles at his poor excuse for a joke. He tries to hold on to that light hearted feeling as he starts to tell the next part of this story.

“I was working mostly personal injury cases. Then, one day, the  _ big one _ comes along, as my colleagues would say. It was a David and Goliath fight, and I won.” Cas can’t help but smile proudly at the memory. “It was big news in the law world, actually. I went out to celebrate, drank too much. I decided I would call my brother in the morning…”

Cas trails off and let’s Dean fill in the blanks. It doesn’t take too long for Dean to figure out why Cas stopped talking.

“How did it happen?” he asks, his voice as gentle as possible. Cas remembers him using the same tone of voice when he was soothing Mandy a few weeks ago.

“Motorcycle accident,” is all Cas can bring himself to say.

The silence that follows is almost too much to bear. He remembers the call from his dad, the emotional fallout, the funeral, and everything that came after. He stares at the bottom of his glass, wondering if he should have said anything, wondering if this is too much for Dean who, after all, is practically a stranger.

After a while he hears a rustling from the other end of the couch, and then the clink of a glass as Dean sets his drink on one of the side tables. Next Cas expects to hear the door open and close as Dean makes a graceful exit to his room but instead he feels the couch cushion dip and then two strong arm wrap around him and pull him close. It’s comforting and familiar and it reminds him of the first night they met.

Dean, thankfully, hasn’t asked him to continue or asked him any probing questions. He’s just  _ here _ , offering whatever comfort he can. Maybe because of that Cas decides to push on and finish the story.

“I got a large bonus for winning that case but it didn’t feel as important anymore. So I took the money and I used my new found popularity to run for public office. No one was more surprised than me when I won a national Senate race.”

He feels rather that hears Dean chuckle at that. “You’re good at your job, though,” Dean tells him. “Good enough to have a shot at winning again, from what Gabe tells me.”

“I guess I do have a knack for it,” Cas admits. “But I feel like I’m falling forward. My whole career is built around the fact that I’m running away from my past.”

“Not true,” Dean argues. “I’ve done some research on your career. The reason you started might have been personal, but you’ve done good things since you’ve been in office. Things that help other people.

“I hope so,” Cas says.

He twists a little to try to get more comfortable but Dean must get the wrong idea. His hands, which have been rubbing soothing patterns along his arm, are suddenly gone.

“I’m sorry,” Dean says. “I didn’t mean to cross a line.” He doesn’t say it but Cas can hear the  _ again _ at the end of his sentence.

“It’s OK,” Cas tells him. “We’re engaged, after all. Or haven’t you heard?”

Dean laughs and wraps his arms around him again. Cas hasn’t been this close to someone since college, but he knows that’s a story for another night. Right now he’s going to listen to Dean’s heartbeat and count the number of breaths that he takes. Soon enough, he feels Dean’s breathing even out as he falls asleep. Cas isn’t far behind.


	3. The Gala

Days blur into days, and before Cas knows it they’re coming to the end of their time in North Carolina. Dean has been stellar in his role as dutiful fiance. He’s doing such a good job that Cas is starting to think that his constituents like him more than they like Cas. Not that Cas can blame them. Dean is attentive and charming to everyone that they meet along the way. And, as Gabe predicted, he’s helped to keep Cas’ town hall meetings on track. But if Cas is honest, there are other reasons that he’s glad to have Dean around.

The kiss that they shared when Dean first showed up turned out to be the first of many. When Dean is sure that the press are watching he will reach out for Cas, taking his hand or looping his arm around Cas’ waist. Then he will casually lean in and kiss Cas as if it’s the most natural thing in the world for them to do. In fact, Cas gets so used to being openly affectionate with Dean that it starts to become second nature.

A few days into their trip they are at a fundraising concert when Cas finds himself instinctively reaching for Dean’s hand. Dean laces their fingers together without batting an eyelash but he can’t seem to wipe the smile off of his face for the rest of the afternoon. The next day at a similar event, Cas takes Dean’s hand and tugs him closer, kissing him without waiting for Dean to initiate. The look of surprised delight on Dean’s face is worth the risk.

And of course there are the nightly talks. Gabe never mentions anything about it, but without fail their rooms are right next to each other with only a door separating them. Once everyone else has gone to bed Dean will knock on the adjoining door and Cas will let him in. They spend hours talking to each other, but they both seem to understand that kissing in private will cross a line that they’re not prepared to cross yet. Eventually, they’ll fall asleep cuddled together under the blankets.

The day before they’re due to go back to DC Gabe calls Cas into this mobile office to discuss the upcoming schedule. It’s business as usual until about halfway through the meeting. Gabe is uncharacteristically quiet for a moment as he stares at Cas from across the desk. There’s a twinkle in his eye that makes Cas nervous that he has something up his sleeve. Then again, when is Gabe not plotting something?

“You have some events coming up,” Gabe tells him.

“I know,” Cas answers. “We just talked about them.”

“You know that you’re allowed to bring a plus one to these events?”

Cas did not know that, but he suddenly realizes where Gabe is going with this. He should object, should reason that Dean has fulfilled his promise and deserves to go home, but he can’t seem to find the words. Gabe’s smile grows wider when he realizes that he’s already won the argument.

“The question is, do you want Dean to stay at a hotel or do you want him to stay with you?”

“I think we should ask Dean if he wants to come to DC before we start talking about this.”

“What do you mean  _ if he wants to _ ? Cas, are you serious?”

“Of course I’m serious. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Gabe sighs and shakes his head. “Fine, I’ll ask him,” Gabe agrees. “But you should prepare yourself for when he says yes.”

“It’s not as simple as that,” Cas tries to argue, but Gabe has already moved on to the next subject.

Later that afternoon he gets a text from Gabe.  _ Told you so. _

_ Fine, _ Cas texts back.  _ But he’s staying at a hotel. _

That evening when Dean knocks on his door Cas doesn’t let him in. He needs time alone, time to think without Dean there influencing his thoughts. In the short time that they’ve been together he has come to rely on Dean for emotional support. But sharing a hotel room with him is different than being at home with him. Besides, Dean isn’t going to be around forever, right? Eventually this charade is going to end.

Cas spends a sleepless night worrying about it.

* * *

Dean is much more reserved on the trip back to DC. He sits next to Cas and even holds his hand when they’re in public, but Cas knows that he’s holding back when they’re in private. Cas much prefers the way things were but he doesn’t have time to talk to Dean about it. Either Gabe or Charlie or some other aide is with them from the moment they leave the hotel in the morning until they arrive in DC later that night. And, as per the agreement, Dean is taken to his hotel and Cas is taken to his condo.

Mandy bounds in as soon as the door is open and runs around excitedly, glad to be home. Cas sets his bags down and locks the door behind him. He’s never minded living alone, but suddenly his condo seems too big and too quiet, even with an excited poodle running around. On a whim he takes out his cell phone and calls Dean. He almost second guesses his decision but Dean picks up before he can change his mind.

“Hey, Cas!” Dean’s voice filters through the line, as cheerful and calming as ever. Cas instantly feels his mood lift just from those two words.

“Hello, Dean,” he answers. “I’m just checking to make sure that you got to your hotel without any problems.”

“Yup, made it here safe and sound,” Dean tells him. “It’s just…”

“What’s wrong?” Cas is suddenly worried that Dean is going to confess that he didn’t want to be here in the first place, that Gabe forced him to come. His worry is compounded when Dean doesn’t answer right away.

“It’s just… you didn’t have to get me such a fancy hotel room, that’s all. I told you, I’m used to motels.”

Cas is pretty sure that there is something that Dean isn’t telling him but he doesn’t press the issue. He’s just relieved that Dean isn’t planning on catching the first flight back to North Carolina.

“It’s the least I could do,” Cas tells him. “You’ve been very generous with your time.”

It’s a while before either of them speaks again but the silence is much more comfortable this time. Cas can hear Dean shuffling around, probably poking through the lotions and shampoos as he was prone to do while they were traveling. It’s Cas who finally breaks the silence.

“Gabe told you about your appointment tomorrow?”

“Yup, I’m getting sized up for a monkey suit,” Dean teases.

“Technically, it would be a penguin suit,” Cas corrects. “But yes, you need formal attire for the dinner tomorrow.”

“Is this the dinner where you and your co-workers sit around and compliment each other all night?”

“No, you’re confused. This is the dinner where we pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. The dinner where we compliment each other is on Thursday.”

“Ah! Glad we cleared that up!”

Cas laughs at Dean’s banter. It’s almost as if things are back to normal. But Cas doesn’t really know what normal is for them, so how can he be sure?

“Dean,” he starts. He doesn’t know what he wants to say but he knows that he wants to say  _ something _ .

“Don’t, Cas,” Dean says before he can get his thoughts in order. “You don’t have to… We can talk about this tomorrow, OK?”

“OK,” Cas agrees. “Tomorrow.”

“Good,” Dean says. There’s another moment of silence before he continues. “How’s Mandy?”

“She fell asleep with her favorite toy,” Cas tells him.

“Just make sure there’s no chocolate lying around, alright? I’d hate to find out that you took her to another vet.”

“Don’t worry, Dean,” Cas tells him. “You’d be my first call.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Dean says. There’s something in the way that he says it that makes Cas think they’re not really talking about the dog. “Good night, Cas.”

“Good night, Dean.”

Cas finishes unpacking and then climbs into bed. He comforts himself with the thought that he’ll see Dean tomorrow and they’ll finally talk, even though Cas isn’t sure exactly what they’re going to talk about.

* * *

The next day Cas doesn’t have much time to worry about what he’s going to say to Dean. His time is taken up with all of the responsibilities he needs to catch up on now that he’s not traveling anymore. Papers and files are pushed across his desk, phone calls are made and received, and somehow the day passes by in the blink of an eye. Thankfully, Charlie sends one of his aides to his apartment to pick up his suit and bring it back to the office. Cas changes quickly and makes his way to the gala without getting a chance to check on Dean.

All in all, Cas is only 10 minutes late. He rushes through the lobby trying to get to the dining room but a strong hand catches him by the elbow, stopping him short. Cas spins around thinking that someone is trying to makes sure he has an invitation but instead he comes face to face with Dean. He can feel his heart skip a beat as he takes in the sight of the man in front of him.

Dean’s hair is neatly combed to the side and his face is clean shaven. He’s wearing a classic three piece suit that fits him perfectly. Cas’ eyes roam up and down the length of Dean’s figure taking in his chest, his arms, the way his fingers deftly adjust the buttons on his jacket. Cas blinks up at him in surprise, noticing the proud little smile that Dean is trying to hide.

“You look amazing,” Cas tells him, as if Dean didn’t already know. Even so, Dean blushes at Cas’ praise.

“I didn’t want to embarrass you by showing up in denim and plaid,” Dean teases.

Suddenly, Cas realizes how out-of-place Dean must feel.

“You could never embarrass me, Dean,” Cas reassures him. In a moment of bravery he reaches out and takes Dean’s hand. “Thank you for being here.”

Dean is looking at him with a soft, fond smile on his face.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he says.

Cas’ heart skips a beat as he leads Dean into the dining room. They’re greeted by a few of Cas’ colleagues as they take their seats at the dinner table but thankfully no one comments on their sudden engagement. They are, however, curious about Dean’s personal life.

“How did you two meet?” someone asks.

“I work at the only vet clinic in a small town,” Dean answers with practiced ease. It’s a question he’s used to answering from their time in North Carolina. “We met when Cas brought Mandy in for a check-up.”

“And who is taking care of the clinic while you’re gone?”

“My business partner, Benny, is holding down the fort.”

And on and on all night. Cas marvels at Dean’s ability to chat with people he hardly knows. Casual conversation has never been Cas’ strong suit, but Dean is a natural at it. It seems that he charms everyone he talks to. By the time dinner is over Dean has the entire table in the palm of his hand. After the plates are cleared Cas guides Dean around the room, introducing him to several more people.

About an hour later Cas realizes that he’s holding Dean’s hand even though there are no cameras around to capture the moment. He wonders if Dean has noticed but he’s too afraid to ask. He gently untangles their fingers hoping that he hasn’t made Dean uncomfortable. After all, they haven’t talk about whatever it is they promised each other they would talk about. But instead of stepping away, as Cas expected him to do, Dean shifts closer and wraps his arm around Cas’ waist.

Cas doesn’t have a lot of time to overthink Dean’s gesture. Dean says goodbye to the woman he’s talking to and guides Cas to the center of the room. There’s soft music play from a live band in the corner and several other couples who are swaying gently to the song.

“Dance with me, Cas?” Dean asks. His voice sounds sure, but Cas can feel his hand trembling slightly against his hip.

“Of course,” Cas answers quickly.

Dean leads him to the dance floor and pulls him close. There’s something in the way that he’s touching Cas that feels different. His touch isn’t demanding but it’s more possessive, as if Dean is trying to keep Cas from running away, but Cas is happy where he is. He thinks back to when he and Dean started this arrangement and how far they’ve come since then. Dean has come to mean more to him than just a fake fiance. In fact, Cas finally admits to himself the he’s falling in love with Dean.

Of course, this whole relationship was concocted in order to control a harmful media story. He and Dean never talked about what would happen when the arrangement came to an end, or even when the arrangement was supposed to end. He didn’t want to force Dean into a situation that he wasn’t ready for, but maybe Cas could convince him to try a real relationship after the election is over. All he knows right now is that he doesn’t want to lose Dean. So Cas holds Dean as tightly as Dean is holding him, and lets Dean sway him to the beat of the music.

It’s late by the time the gala finally wraps up. Thankfully, Gabe has arranged for a car to pick them up and drop them off wherever they want to go. It’s a quiet ride back to Cas’ apartment, full of tension that makes Cas’ heart beat faster. Cas isn’t sure what to say or do when they finally pull up to the sidewalk. It’s the driver that finally breaks the silence.

“There’s one more stop to make, correct?’

“Yes, that’s right,” Dean says, but Cas finally finds his courage and stops Dean before he can give the address.

“Actually, the hotel is on the other side of town,” Cas blurts out. “Why don’t you sleep here tonight?”

Dean looks at him with surprise and hope in his eyes. Cas is glad that he’s not the only one who feels the tension humming between them.

“I don’t want to impose,” Dean says.

“You’re not,” Cas reassures him. “Besides, what kind of fiance would I be if I let you leave now?”

So he and Dean get out of the car and wish the driver a good night. Thankfully, it’s a short walk through the lobby and up the elevator. Mandy greets them at the door with a lazy wag of her tail before turning around and going back to sleep.

“This way,” Cas says as he leads Dean upstairs and down the hallway. Dean follows without a word. Cas stops in front of one of the doors and turns to Dean. His heart skips a beat when he sees the hopefully look on Dean’s face.

“You can sleep in the spare bedroom,” Cas tells him. He turns the handle and pushes the door open but doesn’t move out of the way. He watches the emotions flicker across Dean’s face as he processes what Cas is trying to tell him. Cas can see the moment he figures it out because his eyes light up and he takes a step closer. And then another.

In no time at all Dean has Cas crowded against the doorframe. He’s standing close enough that Cas can feel his body heat but he’s still not touching Cas. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Dean start to reach for him but then stop. 

“Cas, I…” Dean starts to say, but can’t seem to find the words.

“Dean,” is all Cas can say. It sounds like  _ please _ and  _ me too _ and  _ shut up and kiss me _ all rolled into one.

Slowly, so slowly, Dean leans down and kisses him. It’s the first kiss that they’ve shared in private and Cas wonders why they haven’t done this sooner. It’s familiar and exciting all at the same time, and suddenly Cas is done with being coy. He places his hands on Dean’s chest and gently pushes him backwards down the hall. He can feel Dean’s heart beating against his palm and it only makes him want to kiss Dean more. He guides them until Dean bumps into Cas’ bedroom door.

“Stay?” he whispers against Dean’s lips.

“Yes,” Dean whispers back without hesitation.

“With me,” Cas clarifies. He has to be sure.

Dean answers by reaching up and tugging Cas’ tie loose and tossing it aside. Dean’s hands slide around his waist, pulling him close and pressing them together. Cas can feel the effect he’s having on Dean and it only encourages his own reaction. He moans into Dean’s kiss and slips his tongue along Dean’s lips until Dean takes the hint and lets him in. Cas fumbles for the door handle and they tumble into his room.

Dean holds him close as they catch their balance. He begins kissing along Cas’ jawline while Cas helps him shrug off his jacket. Dean cut a dashing figure tonight in his suit, but right now Cas wants to get Dean out of his clothes as fast as possible. Dean seems to have the same idea because he untucks Cas’ shirt and runs his hands along Cas’ skin. His touch creeps higher and higher until his fingertips are skimming over Cas’ nipples.

There’s electricity bouncing all around Cas’ body. Dean’s touches and kisses are driving him crazy. He wants Dean to slow down so that he can enjoy the moment but he also wants Dean to move faster so they can touch more of each other. The impulsive side of him wins out and he pushes Dean away, in the direction of the bed. Dean flops backwards with an umph but Cas is straddling his lap before he has a chance to catch his breath. He kisses Dean hard as his fingers start to unbutton Dean’s shirt.

Dean is quick to get with the program. He pulls his shirt off as soon as he’s able to and then helps Cas take his off too. He shimmies backwards so that he’s seated more fully on the bed instead of lying half on, half off. Cas watches him as he moves, taking in the sight of Dean half naked and reclining against his throw pillows. He reaches out and runs his hands along Dean’s torso, loving the feel of Dean’s muscles jumping under his touch.

“Come here,” Dean whispers and pulls Cas in for a heated kiss. Cas lays down on top of Dean, reveling in the skin on skin contact. He lets his hands roam the length of Dean’s sides, trying to memorize the way that Dean feels under him. Dean is gasping into their kisses, chasing after Cas’ lips whenever he pulls back for air. His hands move from Cas’ waist to his ass, encouraging Cas to rock against him. It’s tantalizing and frustrating, and Cas wants it to last forever at the same time that he wants more. Dean seems to have the same idea.

“Do you have condoms?” Dean asks. His voice is low and husky and it sends a shiver down Cas’ spine.

“I… No, I don’t,” Cas admits. Suddenly he realizes how long it’s been since he’s been intimate with anyone. He hasn’t had the desire until now, but how can he explain that to Dean? He pushes himself up and tries to pull away but Dean doesn’t let him get too far.

“Ssh, it’s OK,” Dean says. His hands have moved back to Cas’ waist but his hold is more reassuring than demanding. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s been a while,” Cas tells him. He can’t look at Dean while he says it. Will Dean ask him the details? He doesn’t want to keep secrets from Dean but he also doesn’t want to have a conversation about his past love life, not when Dean is half hard under him.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Dean tells him.

“I want to,” Cas reassures him. He leans down and gently kisses Dean to prove his point. “I just don’t have condoms.”

“I have some,” Dean tells him. He rolls Cas over so that he can slip off the bed.

“You might have to take over from here,” Cas says as he watches Dean search through the pockets of his jacket.

“I can do that,” Dean reassures him. He’s smiling big and bright, as if Cas just gave him the best gift in creation. He finally pulls out the condoms and a couple of packets of lube.

“You had that on you all through dinner?” Cas laughs.

“Just in case,” Dean tells him with a blush. He’s standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, waiting for Cas’ reaction.

“What are you waiting for, then?” Cas asks in what he hopes is a seductive voice.

Dean is back on the bed with him in record time, pressing him back into the pillows with a deep kiss. Dean’s eagerness sends a rush of longing and confidence through Cas and he reaches for Dean’s belt buckle. When Dean doesn’t object Cas reaches for his zipper next. He lets his fingers skim against Dean as he pushes his pants out of the way. Dean moves quickly to get his pants and boxers the rest of the way off, and then helps Cas shimmy out of the last of his clothes too.

Cas is thrilled when there’s nothing left between them. He reaches out and touches Dean’s cock with gentle fingers, feeling Dean jump under his touch. Dean moans and starts kissing his way down Cas’ chest. He uses his mouth and tongue to pay special attention to Cas’ nipples but he doesn’t linger too long. Cas pushes himself up onto his elbows so he can watch Dean.

“Let me know if you want me to stop,” he reminds Cas, peaking up at him from under his lashes.

“Right now all I want you to do is keep going,” Cas encourages him.

Dean smiles at him and then, without breaking eye contact, leans down and licks the tip of Cas’ cock.

Cas hears himself swear and moan but he doesn’t care what he’s saying right now. He flops back against the pillows as Dean repeats the motion. The feeling of Dean’s tongue is overwhelming in the best way possible. He squirms under Dean’s touch, trying to get him to go faster. As if reading his mind Dean takes the head of Cas’ cock into his mouth and swirls his tongue around the tip. Cas can’t help but buck his hips at the sensation. The moment is ruined when he hears Dean grunt in surprise. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to!” Cas tries to sit up thinking that Dean will want to stop but Dean doesn’t take his mouth of off Cas. He catches Cas’ eye and winks, using one of his hands to push Cas back down. He lets his hands rest against Cas’ hips, keeping him in place while he continues to use his tongue to take Cas apart. Eventually his hands wander lower, pushing Cas’s knees up, and then his fingers are brushing against Cas’ hole.

There’s nothing Cas can do but lay back and let Dean work. He concentrates on not moving his hips but the feelings that Dean are giving him, physical and emotional, are overwhelming. Cas knows that this is more than a quick fuck but is it the start of something more? He wants it to be, but it’s not completely up to him. If he had to guess based on Dean’s enthusiasm he’d say that Dean wants more too. 

“I… Dean, I…”

Dean slowly pulls off of Cas, lapping at the precome that drips out of Cas’ cock.

“Are you alright?” Dean aks. His fingers have stilled inside of Cas, giving him a chance to catch his breath and collect his thoughts.

“I might not last much longer if you keep this up,” Cas confesses.

Dean twirls his fingers inside of Cas and smirks at the reaction that he gets.

“Are you ready?” Dean asks, sounding hopeful and hesitant at the same time.

“You’re the one that prepped me,” Cas snips. “You tell me.”

“I mean…”

“I know what you mean. The answer is yes. Please, Dean.” Cas can hear the whine in his own voice. He presses his hips down onto Dean’s fingers to try to prove his point. Dean hums in approval kisses the inside of Cas’ thighs.

“OK, hang on.”

Cas grumbles when Dean pulls his fingers out but then he hears the rip of a condom wrapper. He tilts his head and watches as Dean rolls the condom into place and then spreads some lube along his length. He can’t help but reach out and run his hand along Dean’s skin, watching Dean’s reaction. He leans into Cas’ touch, almost as if he’s asking for more. Cas is willing to give him as many touches as he wants.

Dean hovers over Cas, keeping his body just out of reach but leaning in for a kiss. It’s gentle but sure, and Cas can’t help but melt into it. He wraps his hands around Dean’s shoulders and encourages him to lean on him more fully. Dean lowers himself until his body is flush against Cas’. Cas can’t help but spread his legs wider, giving Dean as much room as he wants to settle into Cas’ embrace.

Dean pulls back, kissing the tip of Cas’ nose before pulling away far enough to look into Cas’ eyes. Cas nods at Dean’s unspoken question and then finally Dean is pressing in. He moves slowly, watching Cas’ face, for what Cas isn’t sure. Signs of distress, maybe? But all Cas feels is tenderness and pleasure. He tilts his head back and moans at the sensation of their bodies coming together. Soon enough, he feels Dean’s warm breath against his neck as he leans down and places open mouthed kisses against his pulse point. In response, Cas wraps his legs around Dean’s waist in an effort to encourage him to move.

But Dean has his own ideas. He moves slowly, slowly enough that Cas can feel the tension in Dean’s body as he tries to hold back. Eventually he builds up a faster rhythm, mumbling praise against Cas’s skin the entire time, telling him how good he feels and how much he wants him. Cas preens under the praise, arching into Dean, wrapping his arms more tightly around Dean’s shoulders, pulling him closer.

Cas’ cock is caught between their bodies so he feels the friction as they move, building and building as Dean pushes them closer to the edge. Cas want this never to end but he finally gives in to the pleasure. He throws his head back and cries out Dean’s name as he comes between them. He’s warm and loose and happy when he finally comes down from his climax but Dean is still rocking into him gently.

Cas can’t remember if there’s something else he should to to help Dean along so he lets his hands skim along Dean’s back until he’s cupping Dean’s ass. He digs his fingertips into Dean’s skin, encouraging him to keep moving, to keep fucking him until he finds his own release. It seems to be the right thing to do because Dean comes a moment later, collapsing onto Cas’ chest. Cas cards his fingers through Dean’s hair, kisses his temple, whispers in his ear how good he feels because of Dean.

Sooner than Cas would like Dean pulls out and rolls off of him. He turns to look at Cas with a dopey smile on his face. Cas is sure that he’s giving Dean the same smile.

“Where’s the bathroom,” Dean eventually asks.

“Through that door,” Cas says nodding in the right direction, too lazy and content to even point. Dean pushes off the bed and wanders into the bathroom, presumably to dispose of the condom.

“Dude, where are the towels?” Dean calls from behind the door.

“Under the sink,” Cas calls back. The whole scene is so domestic and causal that Cas can’t help but think about what it would like to have this all the time.

Dean comes back with a warm, wet cloth and washes the come off of Cas’ chest. Cas takes it from him when he’s done and tosses it in the direction of the hamper. He pulls the covers back, inviting Dean to slide in next to him. They tangle their legs together and fall asleep in each other’s arms.

When Cas wakes up the next morning Dean is still there with him.


	4. All Good Things Must Come To An End

The next few days pass by in a blur for Cas. He spends his mornings and afternoons at the office and his evenings with Dean. Dean, for his part, spends his time running errands for Charlie and exploring the city. There are a few events that they attend as per their agreement, but most of their down time is spent in the pleasure of Cas’ bedroom. He’s thankful that Dean is a kind and gentle teacher and that he never makes Cas feel like his lack of experience is a hinderance.

It’s in the quiet of the bedroom at the end of the week that Dean brings up the subject of their future. They’re laying on the bed, Dean on his back with one hand tucked behind his head, the other arm wrapped around Cas’ shoulders. Cas has tucked himself against Dean’s side and is tracing tiny patterns against Dean’s skin. Cas enjoys the times that they come together but he loves these moments, too, when they can just hold and enjoy each other.

“Hey, Cas,” Dean whispers. “You know I’m going home in a couple of days, right?”

Cas hums in response, trying not to let his disappointment show. He’s been aware of it since the beginning, the fact that they’ll have to test their relationship against real world practicality sooner rather than later. He didn’t want it to come so soon but there’s nothing he can do about.

“You could come with me, if you want,” Dean says. “You don’t have to stay a long time,” he quickly adds, probably noticing how Cas has started to pull away. “Just for the weekend. I could show you where I live.”

“I know where you live,” Cas reminds him.

“I mean, show you my apartment,” Dean clarifies. “And you could see the vet clinic in the daylight,” he adds, trying to lighten the moment.

“I haven’t been home for a visit for six years,” Cas reminds him.

“I know,” Dean says. There’s a note of resignation in his voice. “I just thought I’d ask.”

Cas flops back onto the bed, mimicking the same position as Dean with his arm tucked under his head. He thinks about the implications of going home, of all the ways that it could go wrong. He wonders if he’s ready for that -- for facing the past that he’s been running from for so long.

“OK, I’ll go,” Cas says, but hurries on before Dean can say anything. “There are a couple of conditions, though.”

“Such as?”

“First of all, this isn’t a campaign trip. If we go it’ll be without Gabe or Charlie or Kevin. Second, I need to get a full day of work in on Friday so we’ll have to leave Saturday morning. I have to get back to DC by Sunday night. And finally, I need some time alone while I’m there.”

Cas can feel Dean turn his head to look at him. He’s pretty sure that Dean will agree to the first two conditions, but what about the third one? They’ll only have so much time together before Cas has to leave. Is it even worth it to go all the way down there and not spend time together?

“That works for me,” Dean says, surprising him. “I get you to myself on Saturday night, though. That’s my condition.”

Cas smiles at the playful tone of Dean’s voice.

“You’ve got me anyway, Dean,” he says, turning to smile back at the man in his bed. “You have to learn to negotiate better.”

Dean gives him a cocky grin and rolls on top of him.

“Oh, I know how to negotiate, Senator,” he whispers against Cas’ neck. “I can negotiate all night long.”

Cas lets his knees fall to the side, giving Dean room to grind down. He can feel his heart beating fast against Dean’s chest and Dean’s breath hot against his skin.

“Show me,” Cas whispers.

Dean nips playfully at his earlobe and continues to rub their cocks together. “I’m going to make you feel so good,” he promises.

“You already are,” Cas assures him. He can feel himself growing hard already. He grabs Dean’s face between his hands and brings him in for an open mouthed kiss. He moans into Dean’s mouth and rocks up to meet Dean’s thrusts. In a sudden moment of bravery he flips them over so that he’s on top with his legs still spread around Dean’s waist.

Dean looks up at him in surprise but doesn’t try to roll back over. Cas takes that as a sign of approval, so he decides to see how far Dean is willing to go. He grabs Dean’s wrists and pins them above his head, making sure Dean knows that he’s not supposed to move them.

Dean can’t seem to take his eyes off of Cas. His pupils are dilated and his cock is growing heavier by the second. Cas smirks down at him, shifting his hips just so. They’re lined up perfectly now, the tips of their cocks rubbing against each other with every small motion.

“Oh my God, Cas, don’t stop!”

Cas bends down, rolling his hips against Dean as he does, so that he can whisper in his ear.

“This feels so good,” Cas tells him. “You make me feel so good.”

“Please kiss me,” Dean gasps. How can Cas say no? Dean lets Cas kiss him and grinds against him until he’s gasping against Cas’ lips.

“Cas! Cas, I’m gonna…” Dean finishes the sentence with a groan as Cas picks up the pace. His head is thrown back in pleasure and Cas can’t help but watch as Dean comes apart under him, because of him. It’s enough to send Cas over the edge too, their come mixing together on Dean’s chest.

Cas lets himself fall to the side so that he doesn’t get Dean any messier than he already is. In a moment he’ll get up to get a washcloth but for now he’s content to press gentle kisses to Dean’s cheek.

“You can manhandle me like that anytime, Cas,” Dean pants.

“Well,” Cas says, a smile on his lips, “we have all night.”

* * *

They leave bright and early on Saturday morning. The flight is short but they have to rent a car at the airport and drive to Cas’ hometown. Finally, Cas pulls into the parking lot of Dean’s apartment complex and manages to park right next to Dean’s classic car.

“Home sweet home,” Dean says as he gets out of the passenger door. “It’s no palace like your place, but it’ll do.”

“It’s lovely, Dean,” Cas reassures him. He pulls out his bag from the back seat and follows Dean inside.

The apartment is much smaller than Cas’ condo but it’s much more lived in. There’s only a living room, a kitchen, a small dining area, and the bedroom but Dean has put his personal touch into every corner of the apartment. Cas instantly feels at home.

“You can put your stuff in here,” Dean tell him, motioning towards the bedroom. Cas drops his bag in the corner of the room and turns to Dean with a smile. He wraps his arms around Dean’s shoulders and pulls him close for a kiss.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Cas whispers against his lips.

“Turns out I like having you around,” Dean whispers back. He puts his hands on Cas’ hips and starts to push him towards the bed. Cas laughs at Dean’s antics and tries to squirm away but Dean holds him close.

“I have to go meet my dad,” Cas reminds him.

“I could give you a quick, good luck blow job,” Dean offers.

“You know that it’ll turn into more than that,” Cas chastises him. “This meeting is important to me.”

Dean sighs in mock defeat.

“Fine,” he says, letting Cas go. “I’ve got you all night tonight, anyway.”

“Yes you do,” Cas says with a smile. He leans in and kisses Dean one more time before slipping out of the room, grabbing the car keys, and heading back to the parking lot.

He had called his dad the day after he had agreed to this short vacation. It had been a slightly awkward conversation but his dad had agreed to meet with him for lunch this afternoon. Cas still isn’t sure what they’re going to talk about but he knows that it’s well past time they reconnected. They hadn’t parted on bad terms, after all, they had just needed to grieve in their own way. But now the grieving is over and they need to rebuild their family.

He pulls up to the restaurant a few minutes early and waits. Eventually he sees his dad walk through the front door so Cas gets out of the car and follows him. He’s too emotional to greet his dad with a hug so he puts on his politician smile and shakes his hand instead.

“Right this way,” the hostess says to them, so they follow her through the restaurant to a secluded corner. Cas requested it specifically so they could have a heart-to-heart without anyone overhearing. The hostess hands them their menus and the waiter takes their drink order and then they’re alone. There’s a long moment of silence as they stare at each other from across the table.

“How have you been?” his dad asks. Cas can’t help but laugh at the simple question. He could claim that he’s fine, but that wouldn’t be exactly true, and that isn’t how he wants this conversation to go. He takes a deep breath before answering.

“It’s been… overwhelming,” he finally admits.

“I’ve been following the news,” his dad confesses. “You seem to be doing well in the polls.”

“I wasn’t talking about the election,” Cas clarifies.

“Ah, yes. You mean your engagement?”

Cas looks down and starts to fidget with his silverware. “About that,” he starts to say but his dad cuts him off.

“It’s fine,” he says. “You don’t have to tell me anything that you’re not ready to tell me. I’m proud of you no matter what.”

Cas can feel the tears start to sting his eyes. He wasn’t sure how long into the conversation it would take for them to talk about his orientation, but apparently his dad was willing to cut to the chase.

“How long have you known?”

“Since a few weeks ago,” his dad answers, but Cas can tell that’s not the whole truth.

“How long have you suspected?”

“You’re my son. What kind of father would I be if I didn’t notice?”

Cas looks up in surprise. What he doesn’t expect to see is the small smile on his dad’s face.

“Actually, Jimmy let something slip while you two were in college. He swore me to silence.”

Cas sighs in relief. He was worried about the emotional weight of the conversation, but his dad seems to thinks that they can talk about everything without bringing up all of the baggage. Suddenly, Cas realizes how much pain he’s been holding on to. Of course he can think and talk about Jimmy without remembering the trauma around his death. In fact, his dad is probably the only other person that will enjoy the stories as much as Cas.

So they spend the rest of the afternoon talking. The conversation is easy and lighthearted and good for Cas’ heart. They order dessert and a couple of rounds of coffee before Cas admits that he has plans with Dean.

“I’m glad that boy of yours decided to stick with you through all of this,” his dad says. “Bring him by sometime so I can meet him. You’re always welcome back home.”

Cas promises to come home more often. They hug before they part ways, and Cas leaves with a smile on his face. He decides to take the long way back to Dean’s apartment so that he has time to process the conversation, but also to remember all of the places that he’s been trying to forget.

“What’s gotten into you?” Dean asks when he opens to door for Cas a little while later.

“I had a good time,” is all Cas is willing to admit. He pushes himself into Dean’s space, hooking his arms around Dean’s waist. “How was your day?”

Dean drapes his arms over Cas’ shoulder and starts to sway them gently in place.

“I had a good time,” he says, mimicking Cas’ answer.

“So we’re both in good moods. That’s good,” Cas says. He leans in and kisses the smile on Dean’s lips.

“I have an idea,” Dean says, pulling away slightly. Cas leans in and starts kissing the side of his neck. “You’re on the right track,” Dean teases. Cas hums in response.

“Let’s go for a drive,” Dean suggests.

“Everything will be closed by now, where do you want to go?” Cas leans back so he can get a better look at Dean’s face.

“There’s… a place I want to show you,” Dean says. Cas can’t help but notice the blush that spread across Dean’s face.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Cas asks with a smirk.

Dean takes Cas’ hand and leads him down to the parking lot.

“This is Baby,” he tells Cas who is familiar with Dean’s stories of his car. He pats the hood affectionately before climbing into the passenger seat.

They drive around town for a little while, both of them pointing out their favorite places and telling stories about their lives. Eventually, Dean takes a turn down a side road, then onto another  that leads to a secluded place in the hills above town. They get out of the car so they can take in the view, standing side by side holding hands. Soon enough Dean tugs his hand and leads them back to the car, where they climb into the back seat.

The situation makes Cas feel like a rebellious teenager, but there’s no way he’s going to stop Dean from kissing him or pushing his hands up his shirt. Cas hums in appreciation and pulls Dean closer so that their bodies are flush against each other. Cas will be happy if all they do is make out in the back seat, but he has a feeling that they’re going to more than that. He has a feeling that he’s helping Dean fulfil one of his fantasies.

Dean shifts in Cas’ embrace so that Cas is pressed back against the seat and Dean is straddling his lap. He’s slowly unbuttoning Cas’ shirt, skimming his fingers against Cas’ chest as he does, driving Cas crazy. When he’s done he slides Cas’ shirt down his arms and tosses it aside then he quickly pulls his own shirt up and and over his head so that they’re both shirtless. Cas pulls him close so that he can feel Dean’s heat.

They come together again in a passionate kiss, Dean running his tongue along the seam of Cas’ lips and Cas willingly opening up to him. Cas reaches up and tangles his fingers into Dean’s hair, holding him in place so that he can deepen the kiss. He feels Dean’s hands running up and down his chest until he’s playing with the hem of his pants. He bucks his hips up in invitation, impatient feel Dean’s hands on him.

Apparently, Dean is just as eager as he is. Both of their zippers are undone before Cas even knows what’s happening. A condom is pulled out of Dean’s back pocket and is quickly rolled into place. Cas’ lack of experience must be evident in his face because Dean pauses to reassure him.

“I’m going to… to hold us both at the same time,” Dean stutters. Cas realizes that he’s probably never had to explain this to a partner before. His expression must give away his doubt because Dean leans down to kiss him again. “It’s OK. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do, but I promise this feels good.”   
  
“OK,” Cas agrees. He wants to experience everything he can with Dean.

Any hesitation the he had goes out the window when Dean starts to stroke them. The weight of Dean next to him, the feel of his breath against his neck, is intoxicating, and Cas finds himself arching further into Dean’s touch.

“I told you,” Dean pants. “So good, Cas.”

“Don’t stop, Dean!” Cas tries to pull him closer but Dean’s hands are in the way. Instead, he decides to kiss any patch of Dean’s skin that he can reach.

Soon enough, the heat starts to build in the pit of his stomach. He clings to Dean that much tighter as Dean works them higher and higher. To Cas’ surprise, Dean comes first, spilling between them with a groan. The added slick gives Cas the friction he needs to find his own climax. He throws his head back and cries out as Dean pumps him through his high.

The first thing he notices when he comes down are the kisses that Dean is peppering across his neck.

“You’re beautiful when you come,” Dean tells him. Cas can feel himself blush at the compliment. He wishes he was better at this so he can make Dean feel just as special, but Dean doesn’t seem to mind the silence. He pulls the condom off, tying it and tossing it to the floor, using his shirt to clean up their chests. He nudges at Cas until they are both lying down, Cas snuggled against Dean’s chest while Dean runs his hands up and down Cas’ arms in a comforting gesture.

“We should really go back so we can sleep in the bed,” Cas, says finally breaking the silence. He feels rather than hears Dean chuckle.

“In a minute,” Dean agrees.

They fall back into comfortable silence. Cas thinks about how much he managed to get done in one day and wonders if he can stick around for a little while tomorrow afternoon to fit some more good things in. He thinks about what his dad said earlier, about he and Dean being welcome any time. His dad said that he was glad that Dean stuck with him through the media storm and Cas can’t help but be proud of that too. Dean is an amazing person who takes care of him in so many ways and he would be happy to introduce Dean to his dad.

But his daydreams are suddenly interrupted by a strange thought.

“Why did you agree to this, Dean?” he asks.

“Well, you see, you’re really sexy and I like it when you--”

“I’m not talking about the sex,” Cas cuts him off. “I mean, this whole thing. When Gabe called you, why did you agree to help?”

Dean doesn’t answer for a moment and Cas starts to get nervous. He pushes himself up to his elbows and looks at Dean’s face. Dean can’t seem to look him in the eye.

“I know why I agreed to this, but why did you?” Cas repeats. “We were strangers a few weeks ago. You did this out of the goodness of your heart?”

Dean sighs and pushes himself up so that he and Cas are sitting across from each other. The back seat, which felt intimate and safe a moment ago, suddenly seems too big. Dean is too far away and the look on his face is making Cas nervous.

“OK, listen,” Dean starts, which doesn’t do anything to helps Cas’ nerves. “You’re right, we were strangers a few weeks ago. And no, I didn’t do this out of the goodness of my heart.”

Cas doesn’t know why he didn’t think of this before. Of course Dean is getting something out of this. Why shouldn’t he? But what is it that could be important enough for Dean to upend his entire life? What is it that Dean has hidden from him through all of their nightly talks and all of their intimate moments?

“You know I have a brother, right?”

Cas nods.

“He’s… well, he’s not doing so well.”

Cas can’t imagine what this has to do with their arrangement so he waits patiently for Dean to continue.

“At least I think he’s not doing so well. I mean, the last time I saw him he wasn’t doing so well. I actually don’t know where he is right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Gabe promised to help me find him if I agreed to go along with his plan.” Dean looks up at Cas with eyes that are begging him to understand. “ I hadn’t had luck in  _ months _ ! I didn’t know what else to do! He was getting into drugs and then he just dropped off the face of the earth, and I…” Dean takes a deep breath and tries to pull himself together. “I didn’t know what else to do. I never expected  _ this _ to happen,” he says, waving his hand between himself and Cas.

Cas sits there and tries to process what Dean is telling him. He starts to ask a question but Dean cuts him off before he can get very far.

“Don’t, Cas. Whatever you’re going to say, just don’t. I know it was underhanded, I know I should have told you sooner, but… I couldn’t,” he finishes lamely.

“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?”

Dean’s shoulders slump. “Wouldn’t,” he admits.

Cas is quiet for a moment as he replays the conversation in his head. He knows that he should be mad at Dean, but wouldn’t he have done the same thing if Jimmy were in trouble?

“You should have told me,” Cas agrees, putting up a hand to stop Dean from trying to explain himself again. “You should have told me because there’s no shame in it. Of course you want to help your brother.”

Cas watches several emotions flicker across Dean’s face from relief to confusion to doubt.

“No shame in the fact that my brother is an addict and I can’t even keep  my own family off the streets? I made Gabe swear not to tell. After all, how could I be responsible enough to be a senator’s husband if I can’t even keep my own family together?”

“That sounds like Gabe talking. How would I look, as a senator, if I can’t even take care of my own brother-in-law?”

Dean blinks in surprise. 

“I could help you,” Cas tells him. Dean just continues to stare at him. “Gabe won’t have to be so subtle now that you’ve told me the truth.”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” Dean argues.

“You’re not asking, Dean. I’m offering.”

“But… your career. What if this ruins everything that you’ve accomplished these past few weeks? Cas, this is your life!”

“No, this is my livelihood. Someone else’s life is actually on the line. Let me help you.”

Dean shakes his head and looks away. Cas can tell that he’s struggling with the decision. After all, he wants to help his brother, but it would be at the expense of his original bargain with Gabe. When he finally speaks his voice is so low that Cas almost misses his answer.

“Alright, fine.”

Cas smiles and reaches across the seat to take Dean’s hand.

“As soon as I get back to DC tomorrow I’ll start working on it. I promise Dean, we’ll do everything we can to find your brother.”

Dean smiles back and squeezes his hand in response.

“Thanks, Cas,” he says before leaning in to give him a kiss.

* * *

True to his word, Cas calls Gabe as soon as he gets back to DC. Gabe is confused at first, and then furious at Dean for spilling the secret. But Gabe doesn’t get to be the only one with an emotional reaction. Cas gives him a piece of his mind, too, for not telling him the whole story.

“I was trying to get you re-elected!” Gabe argues.

There’s an edge in Cas’ voice when he finally answers. “Don’t ever lie to me again,” he orders, and hangs up before Gabe can respond.

Of course, now that the cat is out of the bag there’s no reason not to double the effort to find Dean’s brother. Gabe sends Charlie out to California to his last known address and, genius that she is, it is  just over a week, before she tracks him down. Gabe, genius that he is, manages to keep everything out of the press. And as a final touch Cas makes sure Sam is admitted to an excellent rehab clinic. He’s elated when he gets to call Dean and tell him the good news.

“Cas, that’s… that’s awesome! I can’t even tell you how grateful I am!”

“It’s the least I could do, Dean. I’m sorry that it didn’t get done sooner.”

“I can’t wait to go see him! When do you think I’ll have enough time to do that?”

Cas is taken aback by Dean’s question. Why should he ask Cas for permission to go visit his family?

“You should go see your brother as soon as you can. I think he will be happy to see you.”

“Yeah, I know. But we have that benefit concert thing this weekend so I probably won’t be able to go until after that.”

Cas suddenly realizes what’s happening. Dean feels indebted to him for helping Sam, so he’s willing to do anything Cas asks him to do, even if it means putting off his own agenda. Cas feels sick to his stomach when he thinks about the implications.

“Go see Sam,” Cas tells him. “There will be plenty of concerts.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Give him my best wishes.”

Cas sits in his office for a few minutes after hanging up to process the conversation he just had. Never once in the time that he and Dean have been together did they talk about the future. They never talked about exclusivity or boundaries or expectations. Dean never expressed any interest in moving to DC and as far as Cas knows he could be here for another six years. Dean was kind to him when they first met and opened up to him in more ways than Cas could have imagined. The chemistry seemed real, but then again, Cas was no expert at relationships. Dean could have gotten close to him as an insurance policy.

Not that Dean ever showed malicious intent. He might have been doing it without even realizing. The problem should be solved now that Sam has been found but it only got more complicated. The rehab clinic that Sam is in is one of the best in the country -- far too expensive for Dean to afford. Cas stepped in to pay the bill before Dean had a chance to argue. But now Dean finds himself doubly indebted to Cas for not only finding Sam but paying for his rehab.

As much as Cas would love for Dean to stay with him, is there any way to guarantee that Dean is doing it freely, and not out of a sense of gratitude. Cas worries about it all afternoon. Finally, at the end of day, he calls Gabe into his office.

“I need you to draft a press release,” Cas tells him.

“You set a wedding date?”

“The opposite,” Cas says. “Dean and I are breaking up. Send it to press so that it’s ready for tomorrow’s news cycle.”

Gabe is uncharacteristically silent after Cas’ declaration. “Excuse me,” he eventually says.

“Dean needs to spend time with his brother and I need to focus on the campaign so you have to stage a fake break-up.”

“You have to focus on the…” Gabe takes a deep breath as if to steady his nerves. “Cas, this will  _ kill _ your campaign.”

“It doesn't matter. This has to happen now.”

“Can’t it wait until after --”

“This has to happen now,” Cas repeats with a much more stern tone.

“I don’t understand. It was going so well!”

“Yes, it was,” Cas agrees. “Too well.”

“Cas, listen…”

“I’m not asking permission, Gabe. Do it yourself or I’ll get Kevin to do it.”

Gabe blinks in surprise at Cas’ ultimatum. “Fine, I’ll do it. Anything else?”

“No, that’s it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And with that Gabe walks out of the Cas’ office. Cas opens up his laptop and starts composing an email to Dean. Coward that he is, he can’t bring himself to call Dean and talk to him. In the email, Cas encourages Dean to take care of Sam and to take care of himself. He lets Dean know that he doesn’t want to become an obligation in his life, which is all their arrangement was anyway.

Cas knows that, for him at least, it was much, much more than an obligation. His realization that he was falling in love with Dean hadn’t been wrong. But Cas also knows that he can’t be part of a relationship that has cracks in the foundation. It’s better to end it now than to wait for someone to get hurt.

He sends the email and turns off his computer. He instructs his secretary to hold all of his calls and then heads home for the night. He makes sure that Mandy is taken care of before curling up in his bed and getting a fitful night’s sleep.


	5. Letting Go Of The Past

Just as Gabe predicted, the negative coverage right before the election causes Cas to lose momentum and he inevitably loses. It’s a hard loss for him and his team, but Cas reminds them that they fought hard and that they all have bright futures in front of them. Cas isn’t sure about his own future at this point so he does the only thing that he can think of -- he finally goes home.

It’s strange to have so much control over his own schedule again. He decides to drive down to North Carolina so that he can take his time and make some stops along the way. Mandy, who is used to traveling, doesn’t mind the drive. They make it there on the second day and settle into the hotel. Cas has called his father ahead of time and has arranged to meet him the following morning.

It was too emotional for Cas to stay in the same hotel that he stayed in a few months ago when he was mid campaign. He’s in a much smaller, much more modest hotel this time. Still, there are some memories that he can’t help but think about as he settles into bed. He knows that Dean isn’t far away but that thought isn’t as comforting as it should be.

Dean had tried to call him several times after Cas sent his email but he never answered his cell phone and never returned any of Dean’s messages. Gabe tried to talk to him about it once but Cas told him that he had made up his mind and all he wanted was a clean break. Instead of a stern, scolding look as he expected, Gabe had looked at him with pity.

“It’s your life, kid. I’m just in charge of your campaign.”

So Cas had done his best to navigate the minefield of politics, but in the end his efforts weren’t enough. When the time finally came to admit defeat Cas realized that he was more upset for his team than he was for himself. That’s when he decided to go home to North Carolina, spend some time with his dad, and figure out what he wanted to do next.

He can’t escape the memories that come flooding back the next morning as he wakes up in a hotel room and immediately reaches out for Dean. It takes him a moment to remember what happened and when he does his heart breaks all over again. But there are other memories in this town, and Cas is determined to face his demons once and for all. The first part of that plan is to go see his dad.

Mandy bounds out of the car as soon as Cas turns off the engine. Cas hasn’t been back to his childhood home since the funeral, so it takes him a little longer to fight back the emotions and get out of the car. He can tell that not much has changed on the outside since he’s been gone which he is both thankful for and apprehensive about. If he’s spent the past six years running away from his problem, has his dad been here stewing in his grief? Cas knows that there’s only one way to find out.

He’s about to knock on the front door but his dad beats him to it. The door opens before Cas has even finished climbing the front stairs, as his dad greets him with a smile.

“How was your trip?” he asks casually. “I have some breakfast ready for you if you’re hungry.”

“Thanks, that would be great,” Cas agrees as he walks inside.

To his relief, the inside is much different than he remembers. The walls are a different color and the furniture looks used but new. There are a few potted plants along the windowsill and Cas can smell breakfast coming from the kitchen. Mandy also seems to remember the place even though she was a puppy when Cas took her away. She runs around excitedly, smelling everything she can, before greeting Cas’ dad.

“I can’t believe how big she’s gotten!” he says, rubbing Mandy’s belly.

Eventually, Mandy wiggles away and runs up the stairs to explore more of her old house. Cas isn’t sure if he has the emotional capacity to go upstairs and peak into Jimmy’s old room yet, but he’s sure that he’ll get there eventually. First things first, he’s going to have breakfast with his dad. They fix themselves plates of food and mugs of coffee and then sit down at the table for another heart-to-heart. Cas is much less worried about this one than he was about their lunch meeting a few weeks ago.

“I’m sorry to see that you and Dean called it quits,” his dad says after the pleasantries are out of the way. “Of course, I only knew Dean through news stories, but he seemed like a nice guy.”

“He is a nice guy,” Cas agrees. “One of the best.” There’s a pause while Cas decides what to say next. “Dad, I have to tell you something about that…”

So Cas tells him everything. How he and Dean met a few months ago, how someone took their photo and splashed it across the news, Gabe’s plan to fix the whole thing, and how is spiraled out of control to the point where Dean was traveling with his campaign team. He confesses that he had started to fall in love with Dean but that the relationship wouldn’t work because Cas would never be able to be sure if Dean felt the same way about him. After all, Cas helped Dean find his missing brother and helped him get into a rehab clinic.

“I don’t want a relationship built on obligation,” Cas explains as he finishes his story.

“I’m sorry it worked out that way,” his dad tells him. “From what I’ve heard, it sounds like he was falling for you, too.”

Cas isn’t sure what to do with this information. Dean had never expressed his emotions to Cas and had never talked about their future. Sure, the sex was great, but for all Cas knew, Dean never took it as seriously as he did.

“He’s better off without me,” Cas confesses. “I’m a mess right now.”

“People who love you don’t mind walking through the mess with you.”

Cas takes sip of coffee to try to compose himself before he responds. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for your after Jimmy…”   


“No, don’t do that,” his dad says, reaching out to place his hand over Cas’. “I knew you were grieving, too. I knew you needed time and space, and that you would eventually come home.”

“Six years is a lot of time,” Cas points out.

“Well, you’re the only son I have left. I was willing to wait as long as I needed to.”

Cas isn’t sure which one of them starts crying first but he wipes a tear from his eye at the same time his dad reaches for a tissue.

“This is not how I expect breakfast to go,” Cas says.

“Wait ‘til you see what I have planned for lunch,” his dad teases.

“I can’t wait,” Cas laughs.

They spend the rest of the day together, talking about everything that they should have talked about six years ago. After lunch they take Mandy for a walk and reminisce about Cas’ childhood. Jimmy, of course, comes up frequently, but it doesn’t hurt like Cas expects it to. In fact, it feels good to talk about his brother. For Cas, it’s a reminder that his life mattered, and that it still matters.

At the end of the day they say goodbye and make plans for the next day. Cas gets a much better night’s sleep than he did the previous night which he is thankful for when he considers the metaphorical cliff he is about to jump off of. The next morning he drops Mandy off at his dad’s house and drives to the cemetery to visit Jimmy’s grave.

It’s much more colorful than Cas remembers, which isn’t surprising when he considers the fact that he was probably still in shock the last time he was here. It takes him a couple of tries to find the right place, but eventually he recognizes one of the trees that Jimmy was buried near. He wanders over and sits down in front of the gravestone, not saying anything for a long while.

“I really miss you,” he finally whispers, even though he knows that no one can hear him. He can feel the tears start to sting his eyes. “For a long time I didn’t know how to be a person without you. It was like someone had cut out half of my heart.”

He takes a deep breath to try to compose himself before he goes on. Despite his effort he can feel the tears starting to spill down his cheeks.

“I tried to help people. At least, I thought that I wanted to help people, but what I really wanted was a way to ignore the pain. If our situations were reversed you would have been stronger than me. I know it. You would have stayed with dad and you would have processed your emotions instead of pushing them down. I needed you the most right after you were gone forever.”

He takes a moment to look around the area, to focus on something other than the gravestone in front of him.

“There were people that helped me. They weren’t you, but they were good people, just like you were. Gabe was with me almost from the beginning. And Dean…”

Cas lets his voice trail off as he tries to think about how much he wants to say.

“I loved him,” he finally admits. “All I wanted to do was introduce the two of you because you would have gotten along so well. He’ll never know you, and it feels like he’ll never know all of me because of that.”

Cas knows that he’s running out of time. Between the emotional talk he had with his father yesterday and the emotional experience he’s putting himself through today, he won’t be able to last much longer. He tries to think of something to say that will help him end this “conversation” on a positive note.

“He saved Mandy’s life,” Cas says. “I was in hysterics because I thought I was going to lose your dog, but he saved her and then he helped me open my heart again and… that’s something,” Cas finishes lamely.

“I think I’m braver now,” he says. “I think this time I’ll do it right. I’ll find something that I want to do, not something that I have to do to forget the pain. You’ll be proud of me this time, I promise.”

And with that he pushes himself up off of the ground, places his hand on the gravestone in an affectionate gesture, and then walks away.

He drives around town for a while to process everything that happened. He knows that he can go back any time to visit Jimmy, so he doesn’t feel bad when he remembers all of the things that he didn’t say. Finally, after about 45 minutes, he decides to head home so he can have lunch with his dad.

The first thing he notices is the fact that his dad’s car is gone. Cas isn’t immediately worried because he never told his dad what time he was planning on coming over. For all Cas knows, he might have gone out to the supermarket, or to visit a friend. He starts to get nervous when he walks up the porch steps and sees a note taped to the door. He pulls it down and reads it quickly.

“Cas -- Mandy was acting strangely so I decided to take her to the vet for a check-up. Hope you don’t mind. -- Dad”

“Are you kidding me?” Cas almost yells. After everything that he confessed to his dad yesterday, how could he do this? Was it a trick? A trap? Did his dad expect Cas to follow? No more information appears on the note even though Cas reads it several more times to try to figure out the answers to his questions. There are so many emotions that Cas is trying to process, but anger seems to be winning. He decides to drive down to the vet, Dean be damned, and confront his father.

When he pulls up he almost loses his nerve. But then he remembers that his dad could have texted him instead of leaving him a note, and his anger bubbles up again. He gets out of the car, slamming the door as he does, and barges into the clinic.

There’s a burly looking man wearing a lab coat at the front of the reception area, talking to an older woman holding a cat.

“Hello Mrs. Miller,” Cas greets her.

“Cas, dear, I didn’t know you were back in town!”

“I’m not sure how long I’m staying,” he replies. Before he can ask where Dean is, the burly man interrupts their conversation.

“You’re Cas Novak?”

“Yes, I’m looking for…”

“I know. He’s in there with your dog.”

“Thank you,” Cas says, looking him up and down.

“I’m Benny,” the man tells him when Cas doesn’t say anything.

“I figured. I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but…”

“Feeling’s mutual.”

They stare at each other for a moment, sizing each other up, before Cas remembers why he’s here. Without a word he turns and marches across the reception area to the door that Benny had pointed to. He opens it without knocking, surprising everyone inside.

“Cas!” he hears Dean say in surprise.

“Oh good, you got my note,” his dad says.

“About that,” Cas responds. He is resolutely not looking at Dean. “May I speak with you a moment?” He can hear the edge in his voice but he’s too worked up to care about the effect. His dad all but slinks out of the room.

“What were you thinking?” Cas demands as soon as the door is closed.

“Mandy was acting weird,” his dad tells him.

“Of course she’s acting weird! There have been a lot of changes lately. You thought that was a good enough reason to bring her to the vet?”

“You take good care of her, Cas, I know you do. But she was acting more than unsettled.”

“Of course I take good care of her!” Cas shoots back. He’s interrupted before he can demand more of an explanation.

“Excuse me,” someone says. Cas turns to see Dean standing in the doorway of the exam room. “It’s… the walls aren’t soundproof, Cas.”

“Hello, Dean,” is all he can think of to say.

Dean ducks his head trying to hide a small smile. It doesn’t escape Cas’ notice that Dean’s expression was neutral a few moments ago but now he’s trying to hide a blush.

“You’re dad’s right,” Dean tells them. “Would you mind stepping into the exam room so I can explain?” Cas can’t blame him for slipping back into his professional demeanor. Dean leads the way back into the exam room where Mandy is lying on the exam table, much the same way she did when Cas first brought her in.

“Did she eat chocolate again?” Cas asks.

“No, not that,” Dean says as he picks up his notes and starts to flip through them. “If I remember correctly, you sometimes leave Mandy with a neighbor when you go to work, right?”

“You remember that?”

“That neighbor has a dog of their own,” Dean goes on without answering Cas’ question. “A male dog, right?”   
  
It takes a moment for Cas to process what Dean is trying to tell him but when he finally figures it out he takes a step back in shock.

“You should expect six or seven additions to the family in about a month,” Dean announces. Cas has to take a deep breath to compose himself.

“That’s great news!” he can hear his dad say, but Cas isn’t so sure. How can he take care of a litter of puppies? How did he miss the signs of pregnancy in the first place? This is one change too many for him. Dean must notice that he’s starting to spiral out of control because he drops his professional facade and reaches out to hold Cas’ elbow in support.

“Are you OK?” Dean asks, but all Cas can do is shake his head. “Alright, come with me.”

Dean leads him out of the exam room and down the hall. Cas would make a joke about having deja-vu all over again, but he can’t seem to get his thoughts in order. Dean is still holding him by the elbow, firm enough to guide him but loose enough that Cas can wiggle free if he wants to. Dean closes the door behind them when they finally make it to his office.

“You need tissues?” Dean asks.

“No.”

“A paper bag?”

“I’m fine, Dean. The news just caught me off guard. I’ve had an emotional few days, that’s all.”

Dean is standing right in front of Cas but he’s no longer touching him. Cas is looking everywhere except at Dean. There’s a tension in the room that Cas can’t ignore. He hopes that Dean hasn’t picked up on it.

“I tried to call you,” Dean says without preamble. So he did pick up on the tension, after all.

“I know,” is all Cas can say.

“I spent a lot of time trying to figure out why you broke things off”

“I told you.”

Dean waves his hand dismissively. “I know what you wrote in the email. We may not have been together long, Cas, but I still know when you’re lying.”

“It wasn’t a lie,” Cas says defensively. “You need time to look after your brother. I was giving that to you.”

“Is that what you were worried about? That I wouldn’t be able to look after Sam and spend time with you?”

“No, it wasn’t that.”

“Then tell me, Cas. Please.”

It’s the  _ please _ that gets to Cas. He finally looks at Dean and sees genuine hurt and confusion on his face. Cas can’t stand the fact that he’s the one that made Dean look so dejected. If the truth is what Dean needs that Cas can swallow his pride and give it to him.

“I didn’t want you to think you owed me anything. Between finding Sam and getting him into rehab, I didn’t want you to think I was bribing you to stay.”

Dean stares at him in shock. Eventually he shakes his head in frustration.

“That’s the opposite of what I thought,” he tells Cas. “You didn’t even blink when I told you my problems. But it wasn’t just me, you acted the same way on the campaign trail. You were kind and generous and helpful to everyone you met.”

Cas tries to think back to the times when he and Dean were together. He can’t remember doing anything extraordinary enough to capture Dean’s attention the way that Dean is describing.

“I wasn’t with you because you were bribing me, or because I was trying to pay you back. I was with you because you’re a wonderful person.”

Cas’ mind is reeling. Even though it was his decision to break up, all he wants to do is reach out and pull Dean into a hug, to kiss him like he should be kissed. But Dean’s feelings, while wonderful to finally hear, don’t take away Cas’ original worry. Dean must be able to read his thoughts.

“You know, it would have cost me a lot of money to fly out to California every time I wanted to see Sam,” he says. “So I convinced him to move to a rehab facility closer to here. I’m using the money I would have used on flights to pay for his fees.”

Dean reaches up and rubs his hand along the length of Cas’ arm until he’s holding Cas’ hand.

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Dean tells him.

Cas stares at Dean in shock. If Dean is paying for Sam’s rehab than that means he’s not with Cas because of the favors. It’s what Cas had hoped for all along but was too afraid to ask for. Everything that he experienced with Dean was genuine. The future that they could have together didn’t seem so unrealistic anymore. Cas smiles at him and squeezes his hand in encouragement.

“Let me ask you something, Cas.” Dean takes a step closer, close enough that all Cas has to do is lean in a little bit so that he can finally kiss him again. But there’s a playful look on his face that Cas just can’t resist. He licks his lips in anticipation.

“What’s your question, Dean?”

Dean gets distracted for a moment, following the movement of Cas’ mouth. Eventually he looks up and locks eyes with Cas.

“Can I help you raise those puppies?”

Cas laughs and throws his arms around Dean’s neck, pulling him close. He feels Dean’s arms wrap around his waist as Dean sighs in satisfaction.

“God, I missed you,” Dean whispers.

“I’m sorry,” is all Cas can say in response.

“Just don’t do it again, OK?” Dean says as his arms tighten around Cas.

“I won’t, I promise. I’m right here,” Cas tells him. He pulls back just enough so that he can look at Dean’s face. Dean is smiling ear to ear and Cas is sure that he has the same smile on his face.

“I really want to kiss you,” Dean admits. Cas just smirks at him.

“What are you waiting for?” he teases.

So Dean leans down and shuts him up with a kiss.


	6. Epilogue: One Year Later

It takes a moment for Cas to orient himself when he wakes up. The curtains are drawn tight so that he can’t tell what time of day it actually is. He reaches across the bed but it’s empty and he sighs in frustration. He sits up, fumbles for the lamp, and switches it on. The hotel room lights up with a warm glow but he’s still the only one in the room.

“Dean?”

When he doesn’t receive an answer he gets up to check the bathroom, but that’s empty too. Before he can start to worry, the door opens and Dean walks in with a newspaper tucked under his arm.

“Morning, Cas,” he says in greeting. He walks over and tries to give Cas a kiss on the lips but Cas doesn’t let him get too far.

“I have to brush my teeth,” Cas explains as he slips past. He comes back a moment later and climbs onto the bed next to Dean.

“What are you doing?” Cas asks.

“The crossword puzzle,” Dean explains. “I figured we’re on vacation, we might as well relax a little bit.”

Cas chuckles at the fact that Dean would find the crossword puzzle relaxing. He admires the look of concentration on his face for a few moments before breaking the silence.

“I’m ready for my kiss now,” he tells Dean.

Dean just hums in response and leans over, barely tilting his head, never taking his eyes off the crossword puzzle. Cas tries to lean up to meet Dean halfway but he can’t even reach as far as Dean’s cheek so he decides to take matters into his own hands. He pushes himself up and makes room for himself on Dean’s lap with his legs on either side of Dean. He braces his arms against the headboard, forcing Dean to look at him. Dean chuckles and places his hands on Cas’ hips to hold him closer still.

“I was wondering how long you could last without a kiss,” Dean teases.

“Not long, apparently,” Cas answers. He leans down and captures Dean’s mouth with a playful peck. “Not when it comes to your kisses.”

Dean hums and kisses Cas again, moving his hands from Cas’ waist so that he can run them over Cas’ exposed chest. Suddenly, he shifts their position so that Cas is on his back with Dean hovering over him. He leans his full body weight onto Cas and starts nibbling at the side of Cas’ neck.

“Good morning, fiance,” Dean whispers. “How do you want to celebrate our engagement?”

“It’s good to hear you call me that again,” Cas tells him. “I thought we celebrated last night?”

“Not enough, Cas,” Dean says. He presses his hands against Cas’ thighs, encouraging him wrap them around his waist. “We’re at this beautiful resort for the rest of the weekend, I think we should squander it by never leaving our room.”

“That sounds like a good plan. Let’s start by getting rid of this,” Cas says as he tugs Dean’s shirt over his head. Dean pushes himself up slightly to tug it off the rest of the way. Cas uses the opportunity to roll them over so that Dean is the one on his back. He kisses his way down Dean’s neck until he can nibble at his collar bone.

“I suggest that you don’t put a shirt on for the rest of the weekend,” Cas tells him.

“I can get on board with that,” Dean agrees. His hands wander down Cas’ back and start playing with the elastic edge of his boxers. “I suggest that you spend the rest of weekend naked.”

Cas laughs at Dean’s enthusiasm. He pushes himself up and off the bed, tossing his boxers aside in the process. Dean tries to reach for him but Cas very firmly tells him to stay where he is. He knows that Dean loves it when he takes control like this, so why would Cas waste the opportunity? He tells Dean to take off his boxers too and Dean very quickly complies.

“Make yourself comfortable, Dean, and prep yourself for me,” Cas commands. Dean’s eyes widen in surprise and hope.

“Are we really doing this, Cas? You want to watch?”

“I’m only going to watch until I think you’re ready, and then I’ll touch you. But you have to be ready,” Cas emphasises.

Dean hurries to get the lube from where they dropped it last night. He gets into a comfortable position before he covers his fingers, but it doesn’t take him long to get started. Cas stands close by, watching every movement of Dean’s body. The muscles that seem to flow under his skin, the curve of his ass, the look in his eyes as he watches Cas watching him. Cas isn’t sure how he’s going to last without touching Dean in the next few minutes, but he knows that when they finally do come together it will be that much more intense.

Dean is obviously as eager as Cas is to move things along. He’s on his back which, Cas knows, will let him use both hands to speed things up. Cas watches as he reaches down and starts stroking himself, and then starts playing with his balls. He uses his other hand to tease his hole. It doesn’t take long before he’s ready to press one finger in.

Cas’ breath is taken away every time that Dean makes a noise. He likes to use more than his body to entice Cas, which Cas isn’t complaining about at all.

“I can’t wait to feel you inside me,” Dean breathes. His voice is already quiet and strained, and Cas has to bite his lip to stop himself from leaning onto the bed to kiss him.

“I love the way you touch me, Cas,” Dean gasps as he slips a second finger in. He begins moving in earnest now, pumping his fingers in and out, twisting and turning them as best he can. He closes his eyes, leans his head back, and moans Cas’ name.

It’s not fair, Cas thinks. Dean knows how to push every one of his buttons and they’re not even touching yet. Cas strokes himself, setting his own pace as he watches Dean. He wants to go slow, to take his time with Dean, to take him apart like Dean took him apart last night, but he knows that he won’t last long. He can’t be too sorry that his plan got sidetracked, however, because Dean is still here with him, and they have the rest of their lives together.

“Don’t stop, Dean,” Cas tells him. “I won’t touch you until you’re ready, remember? And I really want to touch you.”

“Cas, please,” Dean begs. Cas moans in frustration. Dean knows what it does to him when he begs.

“One more finger, Dean. I’m going to fuck you hard and fast so I need you to be ready.”

Dean is gasping now, stroking himself in time with the thrust of his fingers. He slips one more finger in and arches his back at the sensation.

“I need you,” he tells Cas between gasps. “Please, Cas!”

Despite his earlier ultimatum, Cas reaches down and runs his fingers through Dean’s hair. Dean opens his eyes and looks at Cas with love and lust, trust and hope.

“Almost,” Cas says. “Keep working.” He reaches for the lube bottle which Dean had tossed aside. He slicks himself up, spreading some along his fingers too. He climbs on to the bed next to Dean, placing his clean hand on Dean’s chest to draw his attention. He can feel how hard and how fast Dean’s heart is beating.

“Move your hands, Dean.” His tone is demanding, leaving no room for Dean to argue. Not that Dean would. He removes his hands and begins to touch any part of Cas that he can reach. Cas leans down and finally kisses him. It’s desperate and a little sloppy but Dean meets him halfway, kissing him with just as much fervor.

“I love you, Cas. Love the way you take care of me.”

“I love you so much Dean,” Cas whispers against his skin as he kisses his way down Dean’s chest. He pushes Dean’s knees up and spreads his legs as wide as possible so that he has room to work. He presses his fingers in to finish prepping Dean, but he doesn’t need much more for which Cas is thankful.

“Are you ready, Dean? I told you how I was going to fuck you, so make sure you’re ready.”

“Yes, Cas, please! Holy fuck!” Dean is trying to push down onto Cas’ fingers but Cas keeps pulling away before Dean can get too far. He skims his fingers over Dean’s nipples, gently and teasingly, making Dean squirm in pleasure.

Cas decides that he can’t hold on any longer. He leans over Dean, boxing him in with his arms, and rests their foreheads together.

“Let me watch you,” he asks in a whisper. “Don’t turn away.” Dean nods in understanding, never taking his eyes off of Cas. And then finally Cas presses in.

Despite his promise to fuck him hard and fast Cas waits until Dean has adjusted before starting to move. When Dean starts shifting his hips to take more of Cas, he knows that he’s ready. Cas pulls out almost all the way before pushing back in, quick and hard.

Dean’s eyelids flutter and his mouth hangs open in a gasp, but he never looks away from Cas. Cas wants to kiss his lips, his neck, his chest, but what he wants more is to watch Dean enjoy himself. Cas pulls back again and thrusts hard.

Soon enough he’s found his rhythm, pumping his hips hard enough to move Dean up the bed. Dean wraps his hands around the back of Cas’ neck and hangs on. His breath is coming out in bursts of pleasure, every now and then moaning Cas’ name. Cas tilts his hips, searching for that spot in Dean that will give him even more pleasure. He knows that he’s found it when Dean clenches his legs as tight as he can around Cas’ waist and his gasps turn to moans.

“Let go, Dean. I’ve got you,” Cas tells him. Cas leans down, breaking eye contact, so that he can place open mouthed kisses along the side of Dean’s neck. The movement traps Dean’s cock between their bodies and Cas knows it’s enough friction to finally send Dean over the edge. Sure enough, Dean clenches around him, arches into him and falls apart.

Cas continues to move at a frantic pace until Dean comes down from his high. He slows down then, enjoying the feeling of Dean still tight around him. He moves his kisses from Dean’s neck to his lips, pouring as much love and devotion into it as he can.

“Dean,” Cas whines, still moving his hips.

“I got you, Cas,” Dean whispers against his lips. “I’m still here.” Dean slides his hands along Cas’ skin until he is cupping Cas’ ass. Dean digs his fingers into Cas’ flesh, pulling him closer, encouraging him to take what he needs. It’s enough to send Cas over the edge too. His hips stutter as he spills into Dean, moaning into Dean’s kiss as he does.

When he’s finished he stays where he is for a moment, catching his breath. He finally looks down at Dean and smiles.

“Hello, Dean,” he says with a smile.

Dean smiles and shakes his head. “You know I love the sound of my name on your lips.”

“You know I love you,” Cas says back.

“Hey, let’s get married,” Dean teases, looking up at him with admiration.

“I already said yes,” Cas reminds him. He leans in to give Dean a peck on the lips. “I’ll say say every time you ask.”

Dean gives him a bright, dopey smile, the kinds that Cas can’t get enough of. He pulls out slowly and then cleans them up and throws the washcloth towards the bathroom. He lays back down on the bed, facing Dean. Dean lifts his arm up in invitation so Cas snuggles closer, tangling their legs together while he’s at it.

Cas thinks back to the year that they shared together and marvels at how far they’ve come. Cas moved in with his dad for a while but he and Dean eventually decided to move in together. Cas took a job at his alma mater teaching young law students. Dean still works as a vet, a job that he is both very good at and loves to do. For their one year anniversary (“Our real one,” as Dean likes to say) they decided to take a vacation to a resort on the beach. Dean officially asked Cas to marry him and ,of course, Cas said yes.

Even their extended family seemed to have a stellar year. Sam graduated from rehab, has held a steady job ever since and has started taking night classes. He tells them that he wants to be a paramedic one day. Cas encourages him in all his goals, but continues to let Dean take care of his brother financially. As for Cas’ dad, he started volunteering at a local school, tutoring a few times a week.

“It reminds me of when you and Jimmy were that age,” he tells Cas. Cas can’t blame him for wanting to remember the good times. He even went once or twice himself to help.

Gabe, Charlie, and Kevin all stayed in politics. Cas hears from them every now and then when they’re passing through. Sometimes it makes him nostalgic for his old life, which is why he decided to take some time to think about what he wants to do with his future career. He enjoys being a professor, but he knows he won’t do that forever. After talking to some of this colleagues, he thinks he knows what he wants to do, but he needs to make sure that Dean is on board.

Cas nudges his foot against Dean’s calf to get his attention.

“You’re not asleep yet, are you?”

“Cas, I’m not ready for another round yet.”

“I wanted to ask you something,” Cas clarifies. He waits for Dean to open his eyes and look at him. Cas can’t help but stare back for a moment, marveling at how beautiful his fiance is.

“What do you need, Cas?” Dean asks, a gentle tone in his voice.

“I have an idea about what I want to do after I finish teaching,” Cas tells him.

“Lay it on me, professor,” Dean quips.

Cas takes a deep breath before telling Dean is idea. “What if I ran for governor of North Carolina?”

Dean doesn’t say anything at first so Cas gives him the time he needs to process the information. It will be a big change for them, so Cas has considered the idea carefully before presenting it to Dean.

“I still have some friends in politics,” he tells Dean, before he can jump to any negative conclusions. “Plus, I think I can do some good for the people of North Carolina. And this way I won’t have to travel to DC.”

He’s imagined everything from Dean hating the idea, to mistaking it as a joke. But what he’s not prepared for is Dean’s actual answer.

“I think you already have my vote,” he tells Cas.

“Really?” Cas asks, excitement evident in his tone.

“Why wouldn’t I vote for you?” Dean asks affronted.

Cas climbs on top of him and starts peppering his face with kisses.

“I wasn’t sure how you would react,” he confesses. “I’m glad you think it’s a good idea.”

“I’m with you, Cas, every step of the way.”

“One down,” Cas teases, “ten million to go.”

Cas’ kisses eventually turn from playful to soft and sweet. He’s enjoying the feeling of Dean’s hands on his skin, the feeling of Dean’s body moving under his. There’s no rush in their kisses, they both know that they have all weekend to spend together, and a lifetime after that. Even so, Cas’ full attention is on Dean, making sure that he knows how loved and special he is.

Cas doesn’t hear his cell phone the first time it rings. But when it rings a second time it draws his attention. It’s on the desk across the room so he can’t easily reach it. Dean runs his hands up and down Cas’ sides, drawing him back into the moment.

“Stay with me,” Dean asks. Cas heart melts at the request.

“Always, Dean,” he reassures him.

Cas can hear the beep on his phone when someone leaves a voicemail but he decides that nibbling on Dean’s bottom lip is more important. Cas has no intention of going to check his phone until he has had his fill of kisses. But a knock on the door interrupts them and is something that he can’t ignore. Dean looks at him in confusion.

“Did you order room service?” he asks.

Cas knows that it’s a rhetorical question because neither of them would have had the time to order anything since they were too busy paying attention to each other.

Cas pushes himself up as the knocking continues, grabbing one of the robes from the bathroom and throwing the other one to Dean. He looks through the peephole but he can’t believe his eyes when he sees who it is.

“It’s Gabe,” he announces to Dean who has managed to get the robe on and secure the belt.

“Were you expecting him?” Dean wonders out loud. Cas shakes his head.

“I can hear you in there, you know!” Gabe calls from the other side.

Cas isn’t sure what Gabe wants, but he knows that it must be something important since he managed to track him down while on vacation. He braces himself before the opens the door.

“It’s about time,” Gabe crows as he walks into their room. “I left you a voicemail, did you get it?”

“The voicemail you left about two minutes ago? No, I haven’t checked yet,” Cas deadpans.

Gabe waves his hand dismissively, looking around the room with a critical eye.

“Doesn’t matter,” he says, brushing Cas off. “I have a question for you. Are you ready to come out of retirement yet?”

Cas starts at Gabe’s questions. He looks at Dean but he is just as shocked. How could Gabe have known that they were just talking about that?

“I’ve been considering a few options,” Cas tells him, hedging his answer.

“I’m not talking about whatever measly potatoes you were discussing with your boy-toy,” Gabe says. Dean tries to protest but Gabe shushes him before continuing. “How about I change your life?”

Cas can’t help it. He knows it’s sappy but he looks at Dean, imagining their future together, while he answers.

“You already did that, Gabe.”

“Fine, fine. Congratulations, mazel tov, etc. Let me ask you this, have I ever changed your life for the worse?”

Cas considers all that he’s been through, his career in politics, meeting Dean, the lost election, and everything else. Gabe was with him, steering him through it all, never once giving Cas bad advice. Cas knows all too well that Gabe is good at out-of-the-box advice, but it’s never been harmful to him or anyone else.

“Fine,” Cas concedes. “Let’s hear it.”

Gabe gets that familiar smirk on his face that lets Cas know he’s in for a wild ride. “How would you like to be Vice President of the United States?”


	7. Author's Notes

A few people have expressed interest in a sequel. I seriously considered it for a while but decided that there isn’t enough conflict to warrant a story. So, in order to satisfy your curiosity, here is my headcanon for what happens next:

Cas decides to accept the VP nomination. His running mate is a well respected and good natured candidate. He has good ideas about what to do during his presidency but he and Cas are running against the incumbent president so eventually they lose the election. Cas and Dean decide that enough is enough -- they retire from public life.

Dean, meanwhile, has sold his share of the vet clinic to Benny so that he can support Cas’ campaign as much as possible. When Cas finally retires from politics he decides opens his own law firm while Dean starts a nonprofit to help abused and abandoned animals.

Sam eventually becomes a paramedic. Because he’s a super-nerd he joins a book club at his local library and meets a young woman named Eileen. They get a happily ever after too. :)

Gabe continues to work hard, always backing the underdog, always hoping to find the one-in-a-million-chance candidate who will go all the way. Charlie and Kevin become successful in their own careers too. Charlie eventually starts an online newspaper that has a reputation for telling the cold, hard facts.

Let me know if you have any other questions about the characters that I didn’t answer here. :)


End file.
